Planet ISKCON

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The post ​If no one can be free from the modes, is it really possible to be free from material desires? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post How can we avoid being dragged down by the mind’s sine wave? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post ​Are realizations permanent or do we need to get the same realizations again and again? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

House program at Singapore

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The post The Gita is elevating and accommodating – Overview of chapters 1-12 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The post A health update and my ensuing plan for this year, 2016 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

One Voice Children's Choir, under the direction of Masa Fukuda, performs "True Colors" by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Shot on location at the Holi Festival of Colors at the Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah.

Harinama in Arbat Street (mainly referred to in English as the Arbat, is a pedestrian street about one kilometer long in the historical centre of Moscow.) (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.1.11)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/bcPlwK

Snana-yatra 2016 Festival (Album with photos)
Snana-yatra festival at New Govardhana, San Diego. April 3, 2016
Srila Prabhupada: One cannot capture the blowing wind. And it is even more difficult to capture the turbulent mind. One must engage one’s mind fully in Krishna. Only then will there remain no other engagements to agitate the mind. (Bhagavad-gita 6.34, purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/nKla0R

Radha Kunda Seva - March 2016 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
March was a quiet, uneventful month of steady seva. Cleaning and prasadam distribution every single day.
We could tell you about all the developments we’re waiting for because… well, because it’s India, but we won’t bore you with all that. I think you know anyway. Kitchen! We’re waiting to build our kitchen!
Only, we’re not waiting and twiddling our thumbs. Thanks to your ongoing support, we get to keep serving and serving.
Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com.
Your servants, Mayapurcandra dasa, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, and Urmila Devi Dasi.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/6EQDsZ

Dear Devotees

Please accept my blessings, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I am writing this letter from Vrndavana, outlining my plans for this upcoming year. As you may know I am going to be 67 years old this year and to be honest I feel it. As Srila Prabhupada said, travelling takes a toll on a preacher. I feel that toll.

A turning point came after I surfaced from the bliss of participating in this year’s Prabhupada marathon. The physical strain seriously exacerbated a neurological condition that effects my spine, a condition with which I have been coping for the last two years. I won’t get into the details, but the physical effects are intense and unrelenting. If the condition gets out of hand, I could become disabled. Obviously I don’t want that to happen. There are other, currently secondary ailments, but in short, my body is rundown. So, I feel that the prudent thing to do is to both change my lifestyle and take a semi-break for this year.

By a change of lifestyle I mean that I will come to Hungary as planned, but I will not travel to other centres in Hungary, UK, Romania or Turkey. I will stay only in Budapest and New Vraja-dhama and make use of modern internet technology to give classes and to communicate with those places where I cannot physically go. And of course those devotees are welcome to visit where I am.

As for a semi-break, a period for recuperation, I plan on spending half the year in the Hungarian yatra’s apartment in Mayapura. That means being in India this year for most of July and August, October and November, and for the next year from January to April. In total I will be in Hungary for five months, with one brief visit to Istanbul and London.

Those rest periods will also give me an opportunity to spend further quality time in chanting and reading. So in effect it will be like a partial sabbatical. However I will continue to be accessible and I shall be on line to maintain contact with the yatra’s leaders and with devotees in general.

That is it in short. No doubt you will hear me explain this in further detail, in person. I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Hoping this meets you in the best of health and Krsna-consciousness
I remain you ever well-wisher in the service of Srila Prabhupada.

Sivarama Swami

The post A letter regarding my plans for this year, Gaura Purnima 2016-2017 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Here are photos and recordings of Kadamba Kanana Swami from the Sunday Program on 03 April, taken at the New Jagannatha Puri Temple near Durban.

KKS_DBN_03April2016__NJP_SundayProgram_JRM

KKS_DBN_03April2016__NJP_SundayProgram_Lecture

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The post ​What is the subconscious mind – is it related with karana sharira? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post ​How to stay mentally healthy without succumbing to temptation? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post ​When our life is so busy how can we make time for introspection and journaling? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

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The post ​Why does Radharani not wear tilaka? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

​Evening program at ISKCON, Perth

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The post ​QA session at Perth appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

North Indian Carrot Halava.
Kurma dasa: Since so many have asked, here is my recipe for carrot halava. It is not the usual milky version. I like this one better because the taste of the carrots comes through.
Unlike the Middle Eastern sesame based halva, Indian halavas are more like fluffy puddings, and can be made with grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds or legumes. In my ultra-simple version of the famous North Indian dish, fresh sweet carrots are shredded and cooked with ghee or butter and sweet spices, then folded with dried fruit and nuts to form an aromatic dense pudding. Carrot halava is delicious, and ideal when you want to prepare something a little different. Serves 4 – 6 persons.
2/3 cup unsalted butter, or ghee, about 140g
900g (almost 2 pounds) carrots, trimmed, peeled and coarsely shredded (weighed after trimming and peeling)
1 teaspoon powdered cardamom seeds
¾ cup raw sugar
¼ cup sultanas
½ cup toasted almond slivers, pistachios or cashews
Light cream to serve
Melt the butter or ghee in a large non-stick saucepan over low heat.
Add the shredded carrots, increase the heat to moderate and, stirring frequently, cook the carrots and butter together for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are very reduced, dry and completely soft.
Add the powdered cardamom, sugar, and sultanas, and stirring steadily to prevent scorching, cook for about 10–12 minutes, or until the orange coloured ghee oozes out of the pudding, and the mixture is again nearly dry. Remove the carrot halava from the heat, fold in the nuts and serve hot or warm.

The name of King Kulasekhara Alvar is well known to the followers of Srila Prabhupada. His Divine Grace used to relish with great ecstasy the Mukunda Mala Stotra written by this great saintly king. This stotra is commonly known in ISKCON as the Prayers of King Kulasekhara. Though his name is well known, for most devotees, very little is known about Maharaja Kulasekhara. We shall now try to remedy this lacuna by presenting a concise synopsis of his life. But before we start we must briefly answer the question-- Who are the Alvars? Continue reading "The Life of King Kulasekhara – a great Rama Bhakta
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The following history from the Valmiki Ramaya is full of import for anyone who wants to be a guru, GBC, temple president or leader in ISKCON or any spiritual institution. "Sri Rama said to Laksmana who was seated there and who was characterized by auspicious marks, ‘O Long-armed Laksmana! Go out and call by turn those, who have come with some business’. Having listened to Sri Rama’s order, Laksmana endowed with auspicious marks, going to the palace-gate himself called those who had come with some request. Continue reading "The incident of Lord Rama and the Dog
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​Saturday feast program at ISKCON, Brisbane

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​Sunday feast program at ISKCON, Perth

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The post ​Appreciating Krishna’s love for us appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

​Evening program at ISKCON, Perth

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The post ​Disproportionate punishment can be atrocious – Ashwattama pastime analysis 2 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Bhakti Vriksha program at ISKCON, Perth

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Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Perth

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April 6. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Burglary in Prabhupada’s Room.
April 1966: Someone broke into Room 307 while Srila Prabhupada was out and stole his typewriter and tape recorder. When Prabhupada returned to the building, the janitor informed him of the theft: an unknown burglar had broken the transom glass, climbed through, taken the valuables and escaped. As Prabhupada listened, he became convinced that the janitor himself was the culprit. Of course he couldn’t prove it, so he accepted the loss with disappointment. Some friends offered replacements for his old typewriter and tape recorder. In a letter to India he described the theft as a loss of more than a thousand rupees ($157.00).
It is understood that such crime as has been committed in my room is very common in New York. This is the way of material nature. American people have everything in ample, and the worker gets about Rs 100 daily wages. And still there are thieves for want of character. The social condition is not very good.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Burglary in Prabhupada’s Room

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What’s Happening in New Vrindaban Dham!

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In Sastra class, the Upper Elementary students have been relishing Krishna’s appearance and childhood feats through their study of the book Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Students take turns reading aloud daily, summarizing, sharing reflections, posing thoughtful questions, and answering philosophical inquiries. We have just completed our study of chapter thirty-five, and students are eagerly anticipating the beginning of Krishna’s pastimes in Mathura. We look forward to continuing our study in the months to come!

Bharatpur Rathayatra (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Rathayatra for the first time in Bharatpur, Rajasthan! On Sunday, Radha Shyamasundara Prabhu arranged for Rathayatra and the people of Bharatpur opened their hearts to the devotees. Every block they arranged to distribute juice, water, and other cold drinks to the dancing devotees. For ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary, another Rathayatra for Srila Prabhupada! Relish the joy through Vittalrukmini’s pics!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/krDvTY

Back when I was at school we simply wrote book reports. I’m impressed by and appreciate Mother Syamali’s creative literature projects. As of lately, Upper Elementary students were asked to choose one of the major characters in their independent reading book, and plan a dynamic scrapbook. Using key events and characters from their novels, they made a collection of hand-drawn photos, representing special memories. Each photo was accompanied by a caption of at least three sentences, explaining the image’s connection to the story. Students also included a variety of different artifacts to represent the events and characters, decorating each page to match the theme of their texts. What a genius way of reviewing and representing the main events!

Most recently, students created unique board games to showcase their independent reading. The artwork, content, and overall theme of the board games was inspired by characters, conflicts, and events in their selected novels. Students were given permission to use any combination of hand-drawn and computer generated images and follow a specific list of requirements. The results were remarkable. Students designed and crafted the board and the counters. Some even made their own dice. They deliberated the rules of the game and its strategies. Some also prepared question cards based on the books. And the bonus? After presenting their finished products, students had the opportunity to sit together and put the games to the test! What an original way of reflecting on and expressing an understanding of literature!