Planet ISKCON

By Giriraj Swami

This verse appears in Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.4.68) in connection with a misunderstanding between Durvasa Muni and Maharaja Ambarisa. As a result of this misunderstanding, Durvasa Muni tried to kill the king, when the Sudarsana cakra, the celebrated weapon of Godhead, appeared on the scene for the devoted king's protection. When the Sudarsana cakra attacked Durvasa Muni, he fled in fear of the weapon and sought shelter from all the great demigods in heaven. Not one of them was able to protect him, and therefore Durvasa Muni prayed to Lord Visnu for forgiveness. Lord Visnu advised him, however, that if he wanted forgiveness he had to get it from Maharaja Ambarisa, not from Him. In this context Lord Visnu spoke this verse. The Lord, being full and free from problems, can wholeheartedly care for His devotees. His concern is how to elevate and protect all those who have taken shelter at His feet. The same responsibility is also entrusted to the spiritual master. The bona fide spiritual master's concern is how the devotees who have surrendered to him as a representative of the Lord may make progress in devotional service. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always mindful of the devotees who fully engage in cultivating knowledge of Him, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Continue reading "Caitanya’s Sannyasa, Prabhupada’s Mercy
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Harinama in Moscow (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: For a devotee, liberation is no problem at all. The impersonalists undergo severe penances and austerities to attain mukti, but the bhakta, simply by engaging himself in the bhakti process, especially in chanting Hare Krishna, immediately develops control over the tongue by engaging it in chanting, and accepting the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Personality of Godhead. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 3.25.33 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/WBKA8D

By Jagabandhu das

My Father-in-law was at first alarmed by the framed photo of Srila Saraswati Thakur adorning our living room wall captioned with His Divine Grace's bold declaration that "...Western civilization must be crushed." I explained that the whole world was contaminated by the ideology of extreme exploitation which has it's heart inextricably intertwined with the roots of what History portrays as Western "civilization." This idea of exploitation ruins any realm in which it exists like a malignant cancer or lethal virus. It is this ruinous mood which must be crushed and not the spiritually hollow edifices populated by the despairing, spiritually bankrupt masses. It is this spiritually cancerous mood which must be crushed. For the ultimate, intrinsic mutual benefit of all the denizens of Earth. Crushed by Love. Whose Love? Mahaprabhu's Love for Krishna, which was His Ardent Desire to dispense to all souls. Unconditionally. Regardless. Forever. Srila Saraswati Thakur Himself flawlessly exemplified this Divine Love to an unfathomable extent. Indeed, He was the ripened fruit of Srila Bhaktivinode's Divine Love and so perfectly represented such Supreme Affection to an unbelievable degree. Srila Saraswati Thakur was Himself the very Personification of Krishna-Prema, which is the ultimate goal, primary purpose and final function of all souls. Continue reading "The Crush of Love
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By Vraja Bihari Dasa

Making sense of Vedic Rituals. Are traditional rituals mere acts of blind faith, or are there scientific reasons behind following them? An envelope protects and carries something valuable. It is the inner content of the envelope that’s actually precious. Similarly empty, meaningless rituals are like an empty envelope: devoid of any substance at best or downright offensive at worst. Continue reading "The Empty Envelope
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Applying for Sannyasa - Procedure - Formalities (8 min video)
In this video Bhakti Prabhava Swami explains how to apply for sannyasa. He highlights crucial aspects of the application procedure.
For further information: bhakti.prabhava.swami@gmail.com
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/VgM7Bq

Govardhan Ecovillage recently hosted a Multi-faith event by GreenFaith: Interfaith partners for Environment organized by of Rev. Fletcher Harper and Gopal Patel. Check out the pictures, courtesy Ravneet Singh and Sandeep Theophil.
Govardhan Ecovillage is a model farm community and retreat center highlighting the importance of spiritual ecology: the need for us to live in harmony with ourselves, nature and the sacred.
We’re located 108km north of Mumbai at the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/hnXLrf

7th Annual Clearwater Beach Festival of Chariots and Ratha Yatra Parade
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Bhadra das 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com
WHAT: An Indian multi-cultural parade and festival will be celebrated with entertainment for the whole family. There will be live music, singing, classical dance, books, bazaar, and lots of free delicious vegetarian food. The Ratha Yatra Parade is the oldest known parade in the world.
WHEN: Saturday, May 7, 2016. There is a cultural program at the Pier 60 Pavilion from 1 PM to 4:30 PM. The Parade begins at 1 PM at the Pier 60 Pavilion, and returns there at which time the free feast begins. The cultural program continues till 4:30 PM
WHERE: The Pier 60 Pavilion at 1 Causeway Blvd.on the beach, Clearwater Beach.
WHO: All are welcome. Free admission. Wholesome fun for the entire family.
SPECIAL: VERY VISUAL event with colorful traditional costumes and flower decorations. Photography is permitted.
If you’ve ever dreamt of visiting colorful, exotic India, we have a treat for you. Get a taste of India without leaving Florida on Saturday, May 7, 2016. The 7th Annual Festival of the Chariots & Ratha Yatra Parade, an Indian multi-cultural extravaganza, will take place on the beach at the Pier 60 Pavilion on Clearwater Beach from 1 PM to 5 PM.
There will be lots of family-friendly activities and entertainment: live music and dance acts and classical Indian dance. But the big draw is the delicious vegetarian food. There will be a sumptuous feast served free of charge to all. There will also be a free hatha yoga class taught by the Lotus Pond Yoga Studio starting at 1 PM., so bring a yoga mat if you want to join in.
The procession route is about 2 miles long and can be easily walked by all age groups. It begins at 1 PM at the Pier 60 Pavilion and returns to the same location. The parade will move in a leisurely fashion, stopping here and there along the route, giving way to song and dance. The procession’s unique feature is a huge chariot with a blue, red and yellow canopy decorated with swans, lotus flowers, flags, Hanuman and a brass chakra on top. This chariot has two very thick ropes attached to it that are over one hundred feet long. These ropes are pulled by the parade-goers, propelling the chariot along the parade route. Riding on the Chariot are the beautiful Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, decorated with stunning silk outfits & real flowers. It’s a vision from another world. Accompanying the procession is lively Indian music and dancing, backed by double-headed mrdanga drums & karatala hand cymbals. It’s an ecstatic, exciting event.
The festival is co-sponsored by ISKCON Alachua, the USF Tampa Bhakti Yoga Society and the Lotus Pond Yoga Studio. The Founder/Acharya, of ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness), His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, came to America from India fifty years ago and introduced the timeless tradition of the Festival of the Chariot (called Ratha Yatra in India). Since the 60’s this festival has been held yearly in over 50 major cities in the United States, Canada, and all over the world. Nine Ratha Yatras are held yearly in the state of Florida: Miami, Jacksonville Beach, Tallahassee, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Daytona Beach, Clearwater Beach & St. Augustine.
All are warmly invited to attend this joyous, colorful festival, free of charge. Take advantage of a rare chance to experience the vibrancy of India, right here in Florida. Questions? You may visit our website at www.festivalofchariots.org or contact Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com
http://festivalofchariots.org/
Please see a video of the St. Augustine Festival two weeks ago at this link: firstcoast.tv/festival-chariots-2016/

TOVP: State-of-the-Art Machinery! (1 min video)
Here’s a short video of the CNC machine in action, making a 800cm long by 12mm thick peacock model from PVC.
This 5-AXIS, CNC router worktable measures 2m x 4m, with a rotary indexing head at one end that will do 900mm x 1.2mm designs. It will be used mainly for pattern making for GRC, as well as for the decorative ceilings, and woodcarving for the doors and frames.
It has been specifically made for us. With this State-of-the-Art machine, we’ve replaced the Chinese stepper motors with Italian ones. We’ve also replaced the Chinese cutter head with a superior Italian one, which makes it better in all respects.
It is a major purchase for the finishing work!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/GhFLHy

Harinama in Prague (Capital of the Czech Republic) (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One who hears the transcendental sound vibration of the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krishna, also improves in health. We have actually seen that many brahmacaris and grhastas connected with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness have improved in health, and a luster has come to their faces. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 3.21.45-47 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/pyAgkY

Huge Harinama in King’s Day in Amsterdam (20 min video)
Inspired by Kadamba Kanana Swami, almost two hundred devotees chanted Hare Krishna and danced in the streets of Amsterdam on King’s Day, inducing passersby to participate, which many delighted in doing. April 27, 2016.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/5YPSDh

April 28. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Need for a New Place
Carol: Carl was trying to be something he really wasn’t, but he would never have suggested that the Swami had to leave. Swami, I am sure, was astute enough to pick up on this tension. As soon as he could, he tried to move to another place.
Gradually Carl reached an impasse in his relationship with Prabhupada. He couldn’t share his life with both his wife and the Swami, and ultimately he was more inclined toward his wife.
Carl: I couldn’t see my loft becoming a temple. I was raising cats and dogs, and he wanted them removed. He used to call me a meat-eater. But then he changed our diet. Of course he was hitting the American culture, which doesn’t know what all this business is. I have to put it on myself as much as anyone. I could understand and absorb India through an impersonal agency like a book or a record, but here was the living representative of Godhead, and to me it was as difficult as anything I had ever had to do before or since.
Prabhupada was not insensitive to the distress his presence was causing. He didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. And of course he could have avoided all inconvenience, both for himself and for people like Eva, if he had never come to America. But he wasn’t concerned with convenience or inconvenience, pleasing Eva or displeasing her. He wanted to teach Krishna consciousness.
Prabhupada had a mission, and Carl’s loft didn’t seem to be the right place for it. Prabhupada’s friends all agreed: he should move more into the center of things. The Bowery and Chinatown were too far out of the way. They would find him a new place.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

The Need for a New Place

About HH Bhaktimarga Swami:Over forty years ago it was a youthful quest for life that lead Chatham, Ontario born Bhaktimarga Swami, (formerly John Peter Vis), to adopt an Eastern order of monastic life that landed him in the Hare Krishna movement. Since that time, as a celibate monk, Swami has evolved as an instructor of bhakti-yoga and mantra meditation. His presentation on this subject of life, based on the popular Hindu text, “Bhagavad-gita” is lively, candid and informative.

With a background in fine arts, Swami also developed a passion for the performing arts. Even in the course of his duties as a monk, he expands his portfolio and manages to take an active role in theatrical productions from epics of ancient Indian origin. Casting, scripting, and directing morality theater takes him annually to venues from North America to India and Africa.

Finally, Bhaktimarga Swami achieved a remarkable feat in 1996 when he went the way of a pilgrim and walked on foot cross country from west to east and then back for a return journey from Cape Spear, Newfoundland to Vancouver Island in 2003, going full circle. He likes to share of his unique experiences and fond memories on the road after trekking 16,000 kms. Swami is a consistent feature in “The Longest Road”, a recent National Film Board documentary detailing the history of the people who shaped or were shaped by the Trans Canada Highway, the world’s longest continuous maintained road.

Programs:




 

T​he New Vrindaban staff​ has ​once again ​graciously offered to ​host HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja’s retreat ​this year at New Vrindavan. Please see the retreat info at http://nvfestivals.com/bcsretreat/ ​or read below.​ Right before the retreat, on June 18-19, there is a 24-Hour Kirtana for which you need to register separately at http://www.24hourkirtan.net. Guru Maharaja and […]

The post 2016 USA Retreat with H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami! appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa on 12th April 2016 in the evening. Guru Maharaja was warmly welcomed by all the devotees. An ecstatic kirtan was lead by HG Nrsimhananda prabhu. The next day Guru Maharaja gave darshan to all his disciples at the Sandton Office Towers. It was short […]

The post Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj’s recent visit to South Africa appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

The post Daily Darshan: April 27th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Varnasrama series.

The post Cultivating good qualities even as they develop appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

By Syamananda Dasa

Scientists today are searching for evidence but are not looking for it. You can see a particular event but if you are not exactly trained in the science of investigation you may never find it. Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, understood this well. In one of his adventures Holmes and a police inspector are both investigating the death of a man. His critically wounded wife was found lying next to his dead body. This is how Doyle describes the event: “The study proved to be a small chamber, lined on three sides with books, and with a writing-table facing an ordinary window, which looked out upon the garden. Our first attention was given to the body of the unfortunate squire, whose huge frame lay stretched across the room. His disordered dress showed that he had been hastily aroused from sleep. Continue reading "Evidence for the Existence of God
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By Radhika Ramana Dasa

This is the age of the internet. People are spending more and more time online. They are emailing, socializing, chatting, downloading, uploading, sight-seeing, blogging. And of course, they are searching. In fact to perform all the previous tasks, one needs the help of a search engine like Google. Google is so famous today for helping people find something on the internet that it is almost synonymous with a search-engine. Continue reading "God & Google
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On April 22nd, 2016 Radhanath Swami joined faith leaders from around the world at Church Center of The United Nations in New York City to encourage world leaders to sign the Paris agreement on climate change. The event (The Interfaith Climate Change Statement To World Leaders Handover Program) was mainly organized by GreenFaith, in partnership with a number of faith based organizations.

Although a climate change agreement was made in Paris, each individual country that signed on still needs to approve it through their respective parliaments and legislative bodies. The Interfaith Climate Change Statement presents the positive judgement of the Paris Agreement from 250 global faith leaders, and urges its prompt signature and ratification by governments so that it can come into force as soon as possible. It also calls for action relating to emission reductions and a swift phase out of fossil fuel subsidies. The statement serves to renew the strong commitment of the faith community to remain active in defining the moral responsibility to care for the Earth.

The ceremony included short talks by faith leaders and representatives of the UN. It concluded with the presentation of The Interfaith Climate Change Statement to H.E. Mogens Lykketoft, the President of the UN General Assembly and was followed by a press conference.

Radhanath Swami shared the following message with the assembly.

“It is a great honor to be here in such a distinguished assembly.”

“From a spiritual prospective the condition of todays environment is to a large extent due to a crisis of the human spirit. The ecology of the world is a reflection of the ecology of the human heart.”

“The universal principle of religion or dharma, is to learn the science of harmonizing the body, the mind and the true self to live in harmony with God, each other and with nature. To transform greed into the joy of giving, arrogance into humility and gratitude, indifference into compassion, and prejudice into love.“

“In the Bhagavad-gita, there is a verse spoken by Lord Krishna:

bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasāḿ
 / sarva-loka-maheśvaram


suhṛdaḿ sarva-bhūtānāḿ / 
jñātvā māḿ śāntim ṛcchat

That the Supreme Divine source of everything, or God, is the proprietor of all that exists –the mother, father and the most intimate friend of all living beings. And true peace is possible when we learn to recognize that we are not proprietors, but that rather we are caretakers of sacred property and caretakers of each other.”

“The Hindu Declaration on Climate Change states that all life is divine and interconnected. This current crisis is a real opportunity to put aside our differences and unite with one heart and one voice to appeal to world leaders and genuinely put forth policies and action to honor the sacredness of life itself.”

Other speakers included the following.

• Rev’d Fletcher Harper, Executive Director, GreenFaith
• Kiran Bali MBE JP, Global Chairperson, United Religions Initiative
• Imam Talib Abdur- Rashid, President, Islamic Leadership Council of Metropolitan New York
• The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, Bishop for Indigenous Peoples, Anglican Church of Canada
• Sister Gayatri, Representative to the UN in New York of the, Brahma Kumaris
• Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations in New York: His Excellency Mr. François Delattre
• Director for Strategy, Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Mr. Halldór Thorgeirsson
• The President of the UN General Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft

Kirtan newsletter.
Yasomati Devi Dasi: It has already been more than a month since Kirtan Mela Mayapur. We have received several comments, most saying that they felt it was the best for them, easier to connect. Actually, this is not surprising as chanting is a personal journey, which increases in spiritual wealth and realizations as time goes by, as long as one is careful to stay away from offences. There were challenges like the absence of HH Sacinandana Swami and Madhava prabhu, but somehow or other, thousand chanted and danced sincerely in unison, in front of merciful Pancatattva.
We have important news for the Kirtan world, ISKCON Mayapur has granted us 3.4 acres to assist the Lord in His manifestation of the first Kirtan Oasis in the world, Kirtan Village, a retreat centre for fine tuning our chanting and help others do the same.
To read the entire newsletter click here: http://goo.gl/CPAOrF

Summer Camps.
At Goloka Education, our endeavor is to enrich education by bringing values based resources to the devotee communities. Currently, we have developed a short course in Sanskrit for the benefit of the congregations that are undertaking Summer camps for children in their respective locations. The idea is to introduce Sanskrit along with the slokas, scriptures and other activities that the Camp organizers are already planning. Please find attached a promotional image that will explain the salient features of this course. Read more: http://golokaeducation.com/

This 5-AXIS, CNC router worktable measures 2m x 4m, with a rotary indexing head at one end that will do 900mm x 1.2mm designs. It will be used mainly for pattern making for GRC, as well as for the decorative ceilings, and woodcarving for the doors and frames.

It has been specifically made for us. With this State-of-the-Art machine, we’ve replaced the Chinese stepper motors with Italian ones. We’ve also replaced the Chinese cutter head with a superior Italian one, which makes it better in all respects.

It is a major purchase for the finishing work!

[See image gallery at tovp.org]

Here’s a short video of the CNC machine in action, making a 800cm long by 12mm thick peacock model from PVC.

The post State-of-the-Art Machinery appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Kirtan In The Land of Confucius (4 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: In this final video of our recent tour in China we visit the famous Confucius Institute in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, the famous Chinese philosopher and teacher. During our two day stay we gave a seminar on Krsna consciousness and had ecstatic kirtans with the students. The holy names continue to flood the Land of the Great Red Dragon!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Yd201c

Today we got to meet our Mayor Ivy Taylor, of San Antonio (a major city in south-central Texas) and gifted her with the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Exciting news and hoping we can meet with her again in the near future. She was excited about getting such a book to read.
We have a gofundme page for the renovations of our temple: https://www.gofundme.com/iskconsa

Harinama and book distribution in Tel Aviv. Israel. 09.04.2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended five items of devotional service, namely to serve the devotees of the Lord, to chant Hare Krishna, to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, to worship the Deity of the Lord and to live in a place of pilgrimage. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.19.38 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Flpyft

Harinam Sankirtan in the largest city on this planet, Tokyo! (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The holy name of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent; therefore when a devotee chants Hare Krishna, Krishna and His internal potency are dancing on the tongue of the devotee. Bhagavad-Gita 12.8 Purport.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/5ET2ka

April 27. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Difficulty Living With Carl.
Yet for Carl and Eva, Prabhupada’s simple presence created difficulty. Never before during his whole stay in America had he been a more inconvenient or unwanted guest. Carl’s studio was arranged for him and his wife to live in alone, using the bedroom, kitchen and living-room any way they liked. If they wanted to smoke marijuana or eat meat or whatever, that was their prerogative, this was Carl’s home; he lived here with his wife Eva and their dogs and cats. But now they had to share it with the Swami.
Almost at once the situation became intolerable for Eva. She resented the Swami’s presence in her home. She was a feminist, a liberated white woman with a black husband and a good job. She didn’t like the Swami’s views on women. She hadn’t read his books or attended his classes, but she had heard that he was opposed to sexual intercourse except for conceiving children, and that in his view, a woman was supposed to be shy and chaste and help her husband in spiritual life. She knew about the Swami’s four rules – no meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication or gambling – and she definitely did not want Carl’s swami trying to change their ways to suit his. And he had better not expect her to wait on him as his servant. She sensed the Swami objecting to almost everything she did. If she were to seek his advice he would probably ask her to stop taking drugs, get rid of the cats and dogs, stop drinking and stop contraceptive sex. If the Swami had his way, they would probably eat only at certain times and only certain foods. Eva was a heavy smoker, so he probably wouldn’t like being around her. She was ready for a confrontation.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Difficulty Living With Carl

We are spending a week with BB Govinda Maharaja at his Sri Vrindavan Dhama community just outside of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Springtime has revealed the natural beauty of the property and Maharaja’s sweet kirtans bring out the spiritual beauty of the Kazakhstan devotees!

The other day we took a 3-hour ‘Bullet Train’ to Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, the famous Chinese philosopher and teacher. We stayed at the Confucius Institute, a small university where students study and practice the teachings of Confucius. During two days we gave a seminar comparing Vedic teachings with those of Confucius. At the [...]

Please vote daily for TKG Academy in Dallas, TX.
Vote for an Imagination Playground.
We are awarding an Imagination Playground!
The organization with the most votes will be awarded an Imagination Playground!
We have awarded Imagination Playgrounds to educators and parents that value the creative play offered by Imagination Playground blocks. Over 25,000 schools and organization have entered our Vote contest in the past. As an extension of our mission in 2016, we want to help!
With this announcement we are opening our Vote campaign. Simply Vote for your child’s school, daycare center, favorite children’s museum (nature, science, or discover center), community center, park or other deserving organization. Get your family, friends, and coworkers to help—everyone can Vote once per day throughout the contest period. All votes must be individually submitted by the owner of the email address – group email uploads are not permitted.
From Monday, March 21th, 12:00 p.m. ET through Wednesday, May 18th, 11:00 p.m. ET, organizations will have a chance to cast their vote to be awarded an Imagination Playground and Play Associate Training (valued at over $7,500).
More info and voting here: http://www.imaginationplayground.com/promotions/vote-for-an-imagination-playground.html

Attempting a World record E-Card for Srila Prabhupada - Join the Campaign!
As you all are aware that in July 2016, ISKCON will complete 50 years of its existence. Being a golden Jubilee year, devotees from all across the globe will come together to present “Golden Jubilee Card” to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Yes, there is an e-card designed where devotees can submit their offering to Srila Prabhupada on the occasion of Golden Jubilee. Offering submission is starting from 23rd March 2016 and will be on till 31st May 2016. Once you submit the offerings, an email will be sent to you for verification. Devotees are requested to kindly verify their email. It’s only after verification that your offerings will be finally submitted to Srila Prabhupada and will be counted.
Your offering will be confidential. Our technical team is also instructed not to read the offering column. Your personal details will be confidential and will not be displayed.
By submitting our offering to Srila Prabhupada for Golden Jubilee we will not only send our heartfelt message to him but we will also break the World Record in the category of “highest number of e-card offering to any single person”.
Devotees are requested to submit their offerings only once through one unique email id. While using your multiple emails, you can write with a different name for each different email id. You may use your initiated name or home name or full legal name or initials ..etc. Double entry by same person will not be accepted, it will be counted as violating rules.
So let’s get started. Kindly go to the exclusive website http://www.offeringstosp.com and submit your offering immediately. This website can be accessed from your Computer / Laptop and even Smart Phone.
Apart from our gratitude, on a technical side to keep everyone updated. Though campaign has begun on Gaur Purnima 2016, Only 700 devotees till today have send E cards from all over the world. So, please fill in your card today and Share this with all in your yatra or e-groups. To make it a world record, there has to be 1 lakh E-cards emailed.
Let’s get going today.
Thanking You.
Your Servants,
ISKCON 50th anniversary committee
ISKCON Mumbai.

Camp Ignite.
Camp Ignite is a branch of off The Sanga Initiative, which is a youth run organization designed to spiritually inspire and support youth from all around the country. For the second time the organizers of TSI are hosting a kid’s camping trip to North Carolina. The trip is from Wednesday, June 29 - Sunday, July 3, 2016, and registration is now open for kids aged 10-16. Register at sangainitiative.org. There are 6 counselors and junior counselors coming from Alachua this year, and we would love to have some kids from here come again! Counselors and kids are coming from other temples such as Atlanta, GA, Washington D.C, and Chicago, Il. It’s an opportunity for a younger generation to meet other young devotees from different communities and become inspired spiritually while also having a blast with fun activities and yummy prasadam planned!

(Third from left, with white and light green sari)

By Nila Kamal das

With a heavy heart we sadly announce that HG Krsna Mayi devi dasi, disciple of HH Subhag Swami Maharaj has left her body in Sri Vrindavan Dham at 9.40pm on the 24th of April. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 at the Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai and 7 years later it finally took its toll.

It is said that ‘simplicity is vaisnavism’. Krsna Mayi Mataji was the embodiment of this statement, her dealings and behavior just like that of a child.

Her husband HG Sitaram das (SSM) was a police officer by profession but after retirement he requested Maharaj permission to reside in the Dham along with his wife. Unexpectedly, during October 2007, Sitaram prabhu suffered from a heart attack and left his body. Maharaj visited the hospital the next day and after looking at Sitaram prabhu’s face he commented, “I’m sure that he has attained a very good destination. Krsna will be pleased that I could take one soul back to Godhead.” Maharaj then instructed Krsna Mayi mataji, “This is your Dham now. Live here and serve without offenses and you will achieve the same destination as your husband.” Following the instructions of her spiritual master she resided in Vrindavan Dham knowing very well that there was no one to look after her except Srimati Radharani. She lived with the bare necessities of life just to keep the body and soul together. With the little pension she received after her husband’s death, she purchased medicine and paid rent for her apartment, the remaining money was used for serving her Guru Maharaj.

She was loved by everyone without exception mainly because she used to care about others so much. Always enquiring about their’ welfare even at times when her health wasn’t good conquered their’ hearts. Mataji used to serve at the Mahaprasad stall and made garlands for the deities. She never criticized others and was always in a joyful and jolly mood.

Srila Prabhupada taught us that living and dying in Vrindavan will entail the same result. Krsna Mayi devi had the good fortune of both. Prabhupada also revealed to us that it is only by the mercy of Radharani that one is allowed to reside in Vrindavan, if offenses are committed then surely Radharani will kick that person out the Dham.

We would like to specifically thank HG Rupa Sanataan das (SSM), resident brahmacari and pujari at ISKCON Vrindavan. He selflessly served Krsna Mayi devi for many years after her husband left on the instruction of his spiritual master. He never delegated his services to others although he was and still is very busy. Everyone in Vrindavan knew that he had two mothers: his own mother and Krsna Mayi devi.

We are reminded of the words of Bhaktivinoda Thakur, “He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die, when thou art living still in sound.” We pray that we can follow in the footsteps of Krsna Mayi mataji and too attain the desired goal.

The post Daily Darshan: April 26th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Everyday Around 17.000 Chapatis for devotees at Kumbh Mela ISKCON Camp (1 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s transcendental mission is to distribute love of Godhead to everyone. Anyone who accepts God as the Supreme can take to the process of chanting Hare Krishna and become a lover of God. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 4.41 Purport)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/5uP8uV