Thursday, March 17th, 2016
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Thursday, March 17th, 2016                         
Pune, India

Everything is a Workout                         

I’ve been receiving invitations to be driven to a park about three kilometres away.  There I can get some walking in.  But I declined the offers in favour of staying on the campus where I can pace back and forth at the temple’s veranda.  Going through traffic in these hustle/bustle cities in India, even for a short length, is not my cup of tea.

I pace, and a small group paces with me, and we all put in the leg-and-lung power together.  The legs do the walking.  The lungs do the chanting.  For the legs you can call it a subtle work-out.  The chanting, on the other hand, is a strenuous one-- one with the mind.

There’s a constant struggle to keep that rascal mind under the thumb.  The mind is a slippery little critter. It slithers around in a quiet speed and mode.

In the bhakti-yoga tradition a portion of the day is spent in disciplinary action, in confronting the mind.  Exercise such discipline and you’ve got a friend.

Physical work-out did become a component for the day.  Right under the deity Balaji is a hall that is reserved for our drama practices.  The space has turned into a gymnasium of sorts.  From 2pm to 9 pm we carry on with direction and the intellectual side of a script, putting it into practicalities.

The volunteers we have are basically computer people who do very little for their physicality. Our weekend assignment, the play “Krishna Is…,” is starting to take form with the help of stiff-ish, but sincere, volunteers.

May the Source be with you!

5 Km

Wednesday, March 16th, 2016
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Wednesday, March 16th, 2016                           
Pune, India

Who Is Central?                             

I had a few precious moments with Bhakti Caru Swami, a monk who hails from Bengal.  Our topic, off the second, was really about damage control.  When people go off course, emotionally for instance, how do you cater to the sensitivities of all parties?

A key factor involved in assisting a cool-down is in the principle of empathic listening.  This listening goes such a long way in smoothing out relations.  To “hear out” someone takes time, but it is time well spent and invested.

Now I have no qualms with monk Bhakti Caru, and I doubt he has anything major against me.  We were addressing the common devotees that we serve, devotees who sometimes do not agree with each other.  It is a given that human beings are human beings. They will have a collision of concepts.  It was a pleasure to listen to the morning class by Bhakti Caru Swami. He reminded us of the sacrifices and care of our guru, Srila Prabhupada.  For some years now he has been conducting seminars on the subject of “Prabhupada: The Person, The Guru, The Mentor and Founder of The Hare Krishna Movement.”

When he finished his talk, before the crowd of over one hundred monks, he asked me if I would say a few words.  So I did. 

“I just wanted to thank Bhakti Caru Maharaja for helping us to see that central to our culture is the person who set the tone and standards of bhakti-yoga for the modern age.  If we don’t have this kind of focus then surely we will be divided by the different concepts.”

Basically I voiced, in a non-rehearsed way, the need to fit under one umbrella that can shelter various approaches and viewpoints.

May the Source be with you!

5 Km

Tuesday, March 15th, 2016
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Tuesday, March 15th, 2016                           
Pune, India

Discipline in Pune                                           

Two flights and a lengthy ride from Pune Airportbrought us to the gorgeous temple of Radha-Vrndavan and Balaji.  I had made a quick visit here two and a half years ago and at that time this six acre plot was rather barren, except for the temple itself and some living quarters for the monks.

Now, you can see the high-rises doing just that, rising high on all sides.  We are talking about residential buildings, some of which will take care of living needs of community members.

We were greeted by an eager bunch, as is common at all the places we go to where there is a monastery. In this particular ashram you are a strict practitioner when you join.  You are upholding four regulative principles: no meat, fish or eggs, no gambling, no intoxicants and no sexual connections before you join. In the first year of residence as a brahmachari you are in yellow attire.  The second stage is that one wear white for five years.  The next phase you get diksha or initiation from a guru (spiritual master).  At some point you will don saffron coloured clothes.

I would say it is a happy regimentation.  The young men seem content with their discipline. The prasadam (food) is good.  Another note about strictness is that while our group had been invited to participate in the weekend’s Youth Festival, called “Dhristi,” our drama “Krishna Is…” was to be presented, but not in the full production.  One scene where dancers portray Krishna and His female devotees dance in the night, we agreed to leave out of the drama, being too sensitive to the large portion of audience members consisting of students and monks.

There you have it!

May the Source be with you!

3 Km

Monday, March 14th, 2016
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Monday, March 14th, 2016                   
Kolkata, India

The Birthplace                                                  

I was asked to deliver a class to a group of monks in yet another location.  A five-minute walk from the actual birthplace of our guru, Srila Prabhupada, is a second ashram for men.  We reflected on the power of prayer as emanating from the sincere heart and lips of saint Prahlad.  “Streams of excellent words” are expressed to invoke the attention of the Supreme-- words that are compiled by yogis such as Brahma and the Kumaras, yet it seems that such appeals are not always instantaneously responded to.

Prahlad’s mood was “what effect can my prayers then have coming from the humble quarters like myself?”  Even more unworthy, he expressed himself as being born in a family of trouble-makers, therefore how may the Creator give attention to what he had to pray for?  Prahlad spoke from a meek platform.

It was with a prayerful mood that the group of us, our Canadian contingent, Ekalavya, and the dozen or more local brahmacharis, gingerly made our way through about three city blocks to arrive at the birthplace.  According to Prabhupada’s nephew, Sankarshan, our guru was born in this middle-class home, shaded by a fairly young jackfruit tree.  The house, secured by the Iskcon Society, is still intact. This was where he was born in 1896 and where he grew up.  Here we sang the guru song called “Guru Vandanam.”  I suggested to the monks that perhaps they can look into some tasteful cosmetics to give the place a face-lift.

Visitors to Kolkata mark it as a spiritual pilgrimage to take advantage of.

May the Source be with you!

5 Km

Sunday, March 13th, 2016
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Sunday, March 13th, 2016  
Kolkata, India

Something Special About Victoria Square  

When the mission only began, in Kolkata in 1971, Iskcon had secured the current building on Albert Road.  The American girls who shared in the launching and pioneering of the mission also stayed at the premises.  There was a slight complication when it came to their bathing arrangements.  To get to their facility they had to pass through the men’s section, so they found an alternative.

Across the street is Victoria Square Park which is primarily a lake, the women began in the early morning to take their bath there.  They observed local women taking advantage of the waters.  Thus it became routine to go for the washing and preparing oneself to be clean for morning sadhana, and darshan of the deities of Krishna.  That practice terminated when neighbours asked our Calcuttaborn guru, Srila Prabhupada, “Why are your female disciples bathing with the prostitutes?”  Of course, our young women were not aware of who their bathing companions were.

It was around this lake (more like a pond) that Mandala and I took to circling on foot in a clock-wise direction.  It truly is a good location to stay right there with nature in the fairly-well maintained natural grove that borders the water.  People come here for a run, a walk or a work-out.  A modest home on the property, houses a family- a man, his wife, two sons (from what we could see), a dog who sits like he’s the king of the place, and a family of ducks.

The British did some awesome things when they developed and designed Kolkata.  It was well laid out with parks and ponds, which are just ideal for people to converge.  Victoria Square Lakehas been utilized by people for quite some decades.  Our guru walked around it.  His enthusiastic female students bathed in it.  It’s undoubtedly a pilgrimage site.

May the Source be with you!

8 Km

Saturday, March 12th, 2016
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Saturday, March 12th, 2016
Kolkata, India

Time and Us

It was a liberating day from the standpoint that claustrophobia was ended.  Yes, part of the reason for feeling crammed in Kolkata was a lack of pacing space in the Iskcon building.  I’m afraid I sent a subtle complaint to one of the higher ups and he responded with speed.  He did something about it.

“I need air that moves and space to pace,” which was sent to the ether.  I was grateful to be relocated 1 kilometer away.  I can walk now.  I stayed in the flat provided for a 3 day period.

Space is one thing, time is another.  Two musician companions secured for our recording project are chronically late.  It was a great opportunity for me to extol the glories of God in the form of time.

“Do not think of the Creator as Gopal, the friend of the cows, as Mukunda, meaning the giver of liberation, or as Janardan, maintainer of all,” I told the 2 young men.  Think of Him exclusively as time (a quote from the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 11).  This bold statement is made by Krishna and has all the relevance to everyone that hopes to keep appointments clear.

I added, “How can you two succeed in life in this manner?  You want to be taken seriously, right?”

Mind you, all was said lovingly, and I hope change will come.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Friday, March 11th, 2016
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Friday, March 11th, 2016
Kolkata, India

The Right Look At Technology

Mukunda Goswami is author of several books.  He is a monk and a fine devotee and human being.  He recently came out with the book, “Spirit Matters,” a collection of articles he wrote for the Hindustan Times.  I chose to pull out an excerpt from one of his articles pertinent to walking and the reasons for doing so (I can’t take much credit for walking these last few days due to tough circumstances including some illness).

From May 27th, 2003:

Driving Toward Liberation or Hell, Our Choice

Everyday about 3,000 people every day die from auto mishaps.  Reckless and drunken driving, speeding, and distraction, greatly exacerbate this unfortunate phenomenon of our times […]

In Bangkok, congestion on roads is so great that many people dress and feed their children on the way to work while riding in their cars […]

Cars, the machines Americans invented and mass produced in the early 20th century replaced horse drawn carriages, but almost immediately they needed new roads.  Then exhaust and the resultant air pollution became a problem.  Costs to create and purchase devices to limit atmospheric contamination became a problem.  Skyrocketing petrol prices became a problem.

Because we’re bedazzled by the speed and privacy cards afford, the sense of power of being in the driver’s seat and all the other benefits to which we’re addicted, these problems seem inconsequential […]

Autos have become a symbol of affluence.  Without them, one can more easily transcend the wide spread conditioning that tells us materially privileged circumstances are ends in themselves.  Even for holistic health reasons, some car owners now prefer walking, cycling, and public transport. But the Gita, 6.1, also asserts that “One who lights no fire and performs no work is not necessarily a true mystic.”  This forecasts action and utilization of technology.

Cars can be meditation chambers or prison cells.  We can use them to expand our spirituality or to watch ourselves pile up in hell.

May the Source be with you!

2 km

Thursday, March 10th, 2016
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Thursday, March 10th, 2016
Kolkata, India

Never Give In Or Up

I like the ashram here, the abode of dozens of young monks.  However, the city, Kolkata, is another matter.  Like the monster metropoles of the modern world, you have congestion, noise, objects in motion (mainly automobiles) coming from all directions, and it’s also hot and humid.  It’s a test for me once I step outside of the ashram.  One of the reasons for the few days here was to do a recording in a studio. Going there by taxi along with producer, Eklavya, was easy enough, but I couldn’t imagine trekking it. Once I arrived I felt I was psychologically prepared for being in some kind of sterile room with all noises blocked out.  The recording studio was A/C’d, thank God.  The musicians to accompany my vocals were Gauranga, on mridanga (drum), and Archavigraha on karatalas, they were fabulous.  But my voice left much to be desired.  In playing it back I sounded tired and raspy.  After doing several bhajans I listened to the work, and I was disappointed.

“Try again,” I had to say to myself.  People working at the studio are nice and we always need to look at the bright side of things.

I had, earlier on, trekked around the pond at Albert Road.  This space gave me some hope that in the midst of the odds against me, there’s always some light.  I thought of the warrior, Arjuna, and how in the middle of explosive war-craft with clashing noises, dust turned up by horses’ hooves, and having death all around him, how he must have felt.  Well, he had Krishnaphysically near him as his support.  He also has Krishna mystically with him as God in the heart.

There is never a time to give in or give up when you consider that you have a backing.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

Wednesday, March 9th, 2016
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Wednesday, March 9th, 2016
Kolkata, India

Kolkata at Last 

So here we are, a four hour drive from Mayapur on National Highway 43, and Kaliyani landed us at the Iskcon Centeron Albert Road.  It was years since I was here.  I was glad to see a healthy renovation on this old, British-colonial home, now resembling a temple, men’s ashram with guest facility, and restaurant.

At 2:30 PM I was scheduled to give a class to the bramacharis, monks.   There are, according to their records, about 70 men living in these quarters.  Most of them came around. I suppose the balance were in Mayapur at the kirtan mela.  I ended up speaking about the glories of walking: how it was traditional amongst the renounced order, how it becomes a boost to the health, how it is making a green statement, and also how it becomes an excellent way to contact and interact with the public.

The boys, monks, were curious to know of the methodology.  “How and where do you sleep at night?  What do you eat when on the road?  How many kilometres do you put in a day?”

I answered all the questions and then asked for their feedback on the presentation.  They seemed rather inspired.  I don’t think I’ll catch them organizing a special padayatra festival on foot.  However, I was hoping to see if any one of them would cross the road to circumambulate the small lake at Victoria Park.This is the lake that our guru, Srila Prabhupada, had walked around in the ‘70’s.

“Walking does most definitely assist the walker in developing a sense of detachment to the world,” is what I told these young men.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

ISKCON Scarborough – Rama Navami celebrations coming Friday – Special class by HG Rohinipriya das – 15th April 2016‏
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Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

The appearance day of Lord Ramacandra (also known as Rama Navami) falls on Friday 15th April 2016. Devotees of the Lord fast until sunset on this day.

We at ISKCON Scarborough will be celebrating Ram Navami in a grand manner coming Friday. Program starts at 6.45 pm sharp with Tulasi arti.

A special Ram Navami lecture will be given by HG Rohinipriya das prabhu.
A free vegetarian Ekadasi feast will be served after our program.

Rama Navami

Rama Navami is the appearance day of Lord Rama. Navami means nine, Lord Rama appeared on the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra. His name was Ramacandra, Prince of Ayodha.

Lord Ramacandra appeared in the Sun Dynasty, as the son of King Dasharatha, in the line of King Ikshvaku, the first ruler of Earth. Lord Rama was the darling of His father and mother, Queen Kaushalya, as well as the hero of all Ayodhya, the capital of what was then a single world kingdom.

Rama had all the admirable qualities of leadership, even from earliest youth. He possessed all physical strength, beauty, religious wisdom, fame for prowess with weapons, royal wealth, and complete renunciation.


Inseparable from Rama was Lakshmana, His younger brother. Together, the two brothers appeared on Earth to vanquish the almost invincible King Ravana and his host of Rakshasa warriors.

Here is a letter Srila Prabhupada wrote in 1968 describing how one should celebrate Ram Navami:

“So far the Advent Day of Lord Ramacandra, it should be celebrated as Lord Caitanya's Birthday was done. Fasting up to evening, and then take prasadam, and chant Hare Krishna whole day, and be engaged in reading and chanting off and on, chant for some time, then read for some time, then again have Kirtana and so on, throughout the day. If you have not got a Ramayana, then you can read Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam that is all right”.


Biodata of HG Rohinipriya das prabhu:

HG Rohini Priya Das prabhu graduated as a doctor of Medicine from Mumbai university but decided to dedicate his life in the service of Lord Krishna.

Prabhu, is a senior Brahmachari at ISKCON's Sri Radha Gopinath mandir at Chowpatty,Mumbai,India.

He is currently serving as the Vice President at ISKCON Chowpatty in Mumbai.

For the last 25 years he has not only been practising Krishna Consciousness but has been actively distributing the message of Bhagavad Gita to thousands of Engineering , Medical students and other professionals all over India.

He also travels widely to USA, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal and Canada and delivers various classes/ seminars on Krsna Consciousness.

We welcome you, your family and friends to ISKCON Scarborough coming Friday

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

Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:
www.iskconscarborough.com

Tulasi Jala Dan
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Tulasi Jala Dan can be followed for one month during the hot season in the northern hemisphere.

One may hang a pot with a hole in it, fill it with water and drip water over Tulasi and Shaligrama Shila.

As it is hot this time of year it is pleasing for the Shaligrama to receive cool waters dripped upon Him.

In the southern hemisphere be careful not to overwater as we come out of Summer and into Autumn.

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Happy Appearance Day!
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The conventional understanding of a hero is perhaps that of a Marvel character; one who possesses extraordinary talents and fights evil to save the planet from annihilation. But there are real-life heroes too, whose superpower lies in their ability to influence the lives of others through their actions and dedication. Real-life heroes who sacrifice their own personal comfort day in and day out, to transform others. They labour out of love and passion for what they do. We would like to honour one such hero on the anniversary of his appearance in this world (12 April!

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A new offering to the Lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada! As a…
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A new offering to the Lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada!
As a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON, a Mega Youth festival named “Xpression- a festival of gratitude” was organized by ISKCON Kanpur in which around 10.000 youths participated from all over Kanpur & nearby places like Lucknow, Allahabad & Varanasi etc. It had a great impact on youths & many of them carried valuable memorable lessons through the medium of Shadow Dance on Bhagavad Gita, Drama on OMG! Movie which clarified many of their doubts. Along with this youths also enjoyed a reverberating Kirtan by Russian devotees. Everybody was spell bound by talks of HG Devakinandan Prabhuji (Zonal Secretary Kanpur) & HG Gauranga Prabhuji. This event was also very well attended by many big dignitaries such as District Magistrate (DM) of Kanpur, Amish Tripathi (Famous writer), and Income Tax Commissioner Etc. At the end youths were very happy with Krishna Prasad & also a return gift of a book on Srila Prabhupada along with a beautiful Photo frame of Sri Sri Radha Madhav Kanpur. Responses of youths & many other visitors were to have this event next time in a very big mega way with triple the count. The organizational efforts were very well coordinated under the guidance of HG Devakinandan Prabhuji, HG Prem Harinam Prabhuji (Temple president) & HG Radha Ranjan Prabhuji (Vice- President). We are hoping to serve more & more by conducting such events in service of Srila Prabhupada.
Find more photos here: https://goo.gl/W5d6Oo

​Why did the Kauravas and the Pandavas have to involve the whole world in their mutual fight?
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How can we avoid feeling disheartened on hearing exalted levels of devotion?
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Establishing Rama Rajya Salient Features and Advantages
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Hare KrishnaBy His Divine Grace A.C.B. Swami Prabhupada

So ideal state means the king must be very responsible. There are many instances. Just like Yudhisthira Maharaja, who was a pious king. In Bengali there is a proverb rajar dose raja nasto dose grihastha bhrasta. If the king is not pious, then the whole kingdom is spoiled. Everyone has got this experience. So, the king must be very honest, pious, and religious. Such kings were called rajarsis. Although they were kings, they were great saintly people. . . . If the king is educated nicely in spiritual affairs, if he knows what the purpose of kingdom is, then all citizens automatically become religious, purposeful. And if the king is a rascal, naturally all others will follow, and they will become rascals. – Bhagavad gita 2.32, London, September 2, 1973 A king’s qualification is judged by the temperament of the people in the kingdom. If they are happy in all respects, it is to be understood that the king is honest and is executing his duties rightly. Krishna said that the king in whose kingdom the citizens are happy is very dear to Him. – Krishna Book, Chapter 52 Continue reading "Establishing Rama Rajya Salient Features and Advantages
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The Advent, Exile, and Triumph of Lord Ramacandra
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Hare KrishnaBy Ramacandra das

The incarnations of Godhead are as numerous as the waves of the sea, yet Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of them all. Just as from one original candle we may light many other candles equal in potency, so Krsna expands Himself in many incarnations, each as powerful as Himself. Each incarnation has the same objective in human society namely, to establish the principles of religion and to destroy demonic, irreligious influences. To accomplish this mission, the Lord once appeared as Sri Ramacandra, the ideal God-conscious king. The poet Valmiki tells the full history of Lord Ramacandra in the Ramayana, and the great sage Sukadeva Gosvami summarizes the Ramayana in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. To this day people in India worship Lord Ramacandra in thousands of temples and regard His reign the famous "Rama-rajya" as the model of God-conscious government. Continue reading "The Advent, Exile, and Triumph of Lord Ramacandra
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​Abrahamic and impersonalist misconceptions about Krishna’s position
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Bhagavatam class at Gauranga Center, Singapore

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Is the Ramayana relevant today?
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By Chaitanya Charan das

One of the primary values that it conveys – selfless sacrifice – is especially relevant in our present times that are characterized by obsessive selfishness. Contemporary culture largely glamorizes the “me” paradigm, which impels people to seek their personal gratification without caring about its cost for others. When the same inconsiderate individualism causes us to neglect or manipulate the people around us – our family members, our neighbors and colleagues, then it boomerangs to wound our heart, afflicting it with emotional ruptures and gnawing loneliness. Thus, the “me” paradigm, despite its instinctive appeal to our ego, is disastrously myopic. Continue reading "Is the Ramayana relevant today?
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When multiple dharmas call us, how do we decide which dharma to practice?
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​When different people have natures of different varnas, what is the purpose of brahman initiation?
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​How is liberation Krishna’s mercy when its pleasure is insignificant in comparison with bhakti?
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How can demons killed by the Lord get the same destination as the devotees?
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​Isn’t “dishonor is worse than death” an egoistic calculation?
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If we are disappointed by our spiritual leaders, how can we continue in our bhakti?
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​Why didn’t the Pandavas forgive the Kauravas – why did they have to fight?
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All ISKCON medical/health care professionals in North America invited to the second annual retreat
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Respected devotees

Registration for the 2nd annual health care professionals retreat is now open and you can register by simply going to http://iskconnamp.org/. If you are unable to attend the retreat but will like to be added to our google group, please write to medicalretreat@gmail.com

All ISKCON medical/health care professionals in North America are cordially invited to the second annual retreat being held at the Gita Nagari Farm from September 22nd (Thursday) to September 25th (Sunday).

This retreat is a forum for all devotees in the health care field to gather and experience enlivening fellowship. We will be deeply honored by your presence.

The retreat is open to all pre-medical students, medical students, students in other healthcare/medical disciplines, interns, residents, and fellows as well.

Registration Fees for the Retreat:

1. $200 – per adult for registration and on-site accommodation, all inclusive.

2. $150 – per adult for registration only. Off-site accommodation must be arranged at your own expense (please visit our FAQs page for the list of nearby motels).

3. $150 – concession/subsidized registration rate for students and medical professionals in training. Includes on-site accommodation. If you choose to stay off-site, the rate is still $150, and the personal accommodation is arranged at your own expense.

4. $100 – Children or youth between ages 6 years to 17 years

The organizers are very committed to supporting our families and ensuring they are able to attend this event. For this reason, children under 6 years of age can attend free of charge.

Sincerely,

NA ISKCON Medical Professionals Retreat Team

Does Prasada Guarantee a Human Birth? Kesava Krsna Dasa: I am…
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Does Prasada Guarantee a Human Birth?
Kesava Krsna Dasa: I am guilty of this. I hear it all the time. For so long I was thinking that if anyone is given Krishna prasada (non-devotee), that person is guaranteed a human birth in the next life. I heard this many times, but where is the evidence to support the claim?
There is no doubt that Krishna prasada will lead anyone who takes it, to Bhakti, in the future. After how long? It depends on whether a fortunate person performs activities in devotion, knowingly or unknowingly. Below Is Srila Prabhupada’s clarity on the matter:
Bali-mardana: “I believe I’ve heard you said in other lectures that a person who takes prasadam, even a plant or a…, any kind of living entity who takes prasadam or hears the name, that it will come back at least to human form of life. Is that correct?
Prabhupada: No, if he’s devotee, then he’ll come. But this taking of prasadam, or hearing Hare Krsna mantra is advancement for becoming a devotee. But if he takes prasadam not as ordinary prasadam, foodstuff, he believes that "This is remnants of foodstuffs given to God,” if he understands this philosophy, then guaranteed. If he takes the prasadam as ordinary food, “All right, these people are distributing, prasa… Let me take it. It is very tasteful,” that will give him chance to accept prasadam next, next, next… In this way, one day he’ll come to the point that “This prasadam is not ordinary foodstuff.” Then he’ll… There is guarantee. Because only the devotee can appreciate that “This prasadam is not ordinary foodstuff. It is Krsna’s remnant of…” Therefore, he understands Krsna. That is said in the Bhagavad-gita, janma-karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. In truth, when he understands, then his life is guaranteed. Why guaranteed? He goes back to home next life. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you simply can understand what is Krsna and what is your relationship with Krsna, that is sufficient to take you back to home, back to Godhead. That is sufficient. It is so nice. “ (SB16.23, January 19, 1974, Hawaii)
With a sense of relief, we have more certainty on the benefits of Krishna prasada.
Ys Kesava Krsna Dasa.

A Drop In The Ocean (Album with photos) Indradyumna Swami:…
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A Drop In The Ocean (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Srila Prabhupada said that by tasting one drop of the salty ocean one can appreciate what the entire ocean is like. Yesterday at our public program in Beijing we got a taste of how Krsna consciousness can spread throughout the entire country of China. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ocPwje

Sri Rama-Navami
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Sri Rama-Navami booklet by Gour-Govinda Swami.
Srila Prabhupada: Nobody can be stronger than God, nobody can be wiser than God, nobody can be more beautiful than God, and nobody can be more renouncer than God. So here Lord Ramacandra exhibited the quality how He renounced the whole kingdom simply on the order of His father, His obedience to his father. He could have argued with His father, “My dear father, you, simply for keeping your promise and actuated by the dictation of a woman, you are doing this. Let us stop it. Everyone is expecting that tomorrow My coronation will be there, and they love Me so much.” Because He… Just like Krishna was so much loved, similarly, Lord Ramacandra was the life of the people. They were very much expecting that Ramacandra was going to be enthroned tomorrow. So how they were celebrating, how they were decorating the whole city. Everything. He never argued. He accepted immediately: “Yes, father. I am ready.”
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April 11. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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April 11. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Word Spreads.
News of the Swami’s move to the Bowery loft spread, mostly by word of mouth at the Paradox restaurant, and people began to come by in the evening to chant with him. The musical kirtanas were especially popular on the Bowery, since the Swami’s new congregation consisted mostly of local musicians and artists who responded more to the transcendental music than to the philosophy. Every morning he would hold a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam attended by David Allen, Robert Nelson and another boy, and occasionally he would teach cooking to whoever was interested. He was usually available for personal talks with any inquiring visitors, or with his new roommate.
Although Prabhupada and David each had a designated living area in the large loft, the entire place soon became dominated by Prabhupada’s preaching activities. Prabhupada and David got on well together and, at first, Prabhupada considered David an aspiring disciple.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

“Never trust a guru who does not dance”
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture)

kks_VP_2014I mentioned before that in my early spiritual life there was a devotee named Mahavirya who helped me a lot at that time. Over the years, I completely lost touch with him but then someone found out his phone number.

So I called him the other day and he was completely in the same mood of the 70’s, nothing has changed – sixty-four rounds every day at least or more, just going strong and preaching all the time! In those days, devotees did not have conversations, they did not do that, they were always preaching to each other. So he started preaching up a storm to me.

After a while he said, ‘You are also supposed to say something.’ Nothing I could say anymore after that! (laughter) He just preached me off my feet! He said different things, like, ‘How many disciples do you have?’ then he said, ‘You must be the most happy man!’ and I said, ‘Well, it is not that nice!’ (laughter) ‘It’s okay but it is not that blissful!’ and he said, ‘No, guru must be the most happy man, otherwise how can he make anybody else happy?’ So, he said nice things like that.

One moment while we were speaking he said, ‘Never trust a guru who does not dance,’ which I have heard before, but still it is a very nice saying. Yes! Happiness must show like that, it must show in that we are relishing Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is to be relished – Krsna is so wonderful, he is just so amazing because every moment with Krsna is the greatest blessing.