Sunday Love Feast – 11:00am to 2:00pm – Vedic Discourse by His Grace Radha Govinda Hari Dasa
→ ISKCON Brampton


RAM NAVMI CELEBRATION - April 15th,2016  **Detailed program will follow shortly**

Love Feast Programs: 
11:00am - 11:15am     Tulsi Puja
11:15am - 11:30am     Guru Puja
11:30am - 11:55am     Aarti  & Kirtan
11:55am - 12:00pm     Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers
12:00pm -  1:00pm      Vedic discourse 
 1:00pm -   1:30pm      Closing Kirtan 
 1:30pm -   2:00pm      Sanctified Free Vegetarian Feast

Japathon-Congregational Mantra Meditation

Next meeting on April 9 ,2016(5.30am-9.30am) at ISKCON Brampton

The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His Energy to give protection to the conditioned soul.japa, when performed with focus and attention, can subdue the agitating effects of one’s mind and senses. The senses, of which the mind is also one, are constantly being stimulated by the external world  - by gross and subtle matter.
If you have not chanted before, and would like to participate in this program, we will be very happy to show how you can do this.
All welcome. We’ll loan you a set of Beads!




Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)

“One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas)

Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make Srila Prabhupada happy.

Please contact:
Rasaraj Dasa-rajrushika@yahoo.com/ 647.887.5736(Mississauga and Brampton regions)
Narahari Dev Dasa- naraharidev@gmail.com (Etobicoke
 region)

Hladini Kirtan Band at your Home Programs
Hladini is a local kirtan group consisting of spiritually inclined musical enthusiasts with a vision to encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God, as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Over the last couple of years, the group has successfully engaged spiritually minded people in mantra meditation and Vedic chants. Hladini would be glad to bring auspicious vibrations to your next home program, yoga studio or traditional ceremonies.
Please contact Amogha Lila Das at hladini_kirtan_group@googlegroups.com


COMING UP AHEAD


Fasting For Papamocani Ekadasi

Fasting.....................on Sun Apr 3rd,2016
Breakfast.................on Mon Apr 4th,2016 b/w 6.53am-11.11am


Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment.
English audio glorification of all Ekadasis is available here 
Rama Navami(Fasting till Sunset)
Celebration of the auspicious appearance of Lord Ramacandra on Friday, April 15(7 pm)

**Detailed program will follow shortly**

Lecture by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 27th March 1969. The Appearance day of Lord Rama - Ramanavami, Hawaii, USA.
ONGOING EVERY SUNDAY


Sunday School

To register,contact us
Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com
Call:647.893.9363

The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. School
The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).


Gift Shop

Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your visit. It offers textiles, jewellery, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Chant and Be happy


The Flag of Devotion
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By Keshava Murari das

Arjuna and Krishna preparing for battle “The emblem of Hanuman on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanuman cooperated with Lord Rama in the battle between Rama and Ravana, and Lord Rama emerged victorious. Now both Rama and Hanuman were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Krishna is Rama Himself, and wherever Lord Rama is, His eternal servitor Hanuman and His eternal consort Sita, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever.” (Shrila Prabhupada, BG 1.20 Purport) We find that in our material endeavors, we often invoke the name or memory of someone as a way of bringing good luck. Athletes often carry good luck charms given to them by legendary figures in their sport. They also remember the accomplishments of previous great athletes prior to having to perform. Politicians will often invoke the names of great leaders from the past when making an important speech. Continue reading "The Flag of Devotion
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Thoughts on April Fools’ Day
Giriraj Swami

Srila Prabhupada Guru-puja JuhuApril Fools’ Day is celebrated yearly on April 1, and today I thought of Srila Prabhupada’s instruction that we remain fools before the spiritual master, as stated in a room conversation in Bombay, August 16, 1976.

A devotee asked, “Even nitya-siddha has guru . . . Even the liberated soul, nitya-siddha?” And Srila Prabhupada replied,Liberated soul never says that ‘I am liberated.’ As soon as he says ‘liberated,’ he’s a rascal. A liberated soul will never say that ‘I am liberated.’ That is liberation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is God—guru more murkha dekhi’ karila sasan [Cc Adi 7.71]: ‘My Guru Maharaja saw Me fool number one, and he has chastised Me.’ He’s God. This is the example. If one remains always a servant, everlastingly, of guru, then he is liberated. And as soon as he thinks that he is liberated, he’s a rascal. That is the teaching of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Guru more murkha dekhi’. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is murkha? Why He’s posing Himself that murkha, ‘I am fool number one’? That means that is liberation. You must be ready always to be chastised by guru. Then he’s liberated. And as soon as he thinks that ‘I am beyond this chastisement. I am liberated,’ he’s a rascal. Why Caitanya Mahaprabhu says guru more murkha dekhi’ karila sasan? This is sahajiya-vada, thinking, “Oh, I have become liberated. I don’t require any direction of my guru. I’m liberated.” Then he’s rascal. . . . So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection.”

I pray to be directed by Srila Prabhupada eternally, as his everlastingly humble servant, or servants’ servants’ servant.

Hare Krishna.

Your humble servant,
Giriraj Swami

Sankirtan Orientation Seminar 101 (SOS 101) by ISKCON of Silicon Valley
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Srila Prabhupada’s mission was to write and distribute transcendental books far and wide so that it can change people’s lives. He has quoted that even 1% become devotees, it will change the entire world. As we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON, here is an opportunity to learn the art of distributing his books through a dynamic and hands on seminar. After a successful and inspiring seminar last year, on the request of devotees, we present the Sankirtan Orientation Seminar 101 (SOS 101) once again for your pleasure. SOS 101 will help you acquire the tools of trade by learning the nuances of book distribution, basic laws, codes of conduct and success stories along with hands on sessions in a fun filled environment. You’ll learn tips and strategies to successfully distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books to anyone and everyone. Join us for this enlivening course and boost your self-confidence!

Title of the Seminar:

SANKIRTAN ORIENTATION SEMINAR (SOS 101)

Benefits:

· Master the art of book distribution

· Boost your self-confidence

· Feel happy and successful

· Stay motivated

· Strengthen your spiritual life

Focus Audience:

· Devotees from North America/Canada

· Anyone interested in book distribution and would like to enhance their skills

Venue:

ISKCON of Silicon Valley, Mountain View, CA

Iskconsiliconvalley.com

When: April 29 – May 1 2016

Seminar Schedule:

Friday, April 29

· Evening

o Presentation: “Gita on its own Merit” [7 pm – 9 pm]

o Hands-on Session

Saturday, April 30

· Morning

o Presentation: “Get Sets and Go” [8:30 am – 10:30 am]

o Hands-on Session

· Afternoon

o Field Trips [12 pm – 4 pm]

v Sets distribution – door to door

v Kids Sankirtan

v Street Sankirtan

v Feedback/coaching on the field

· Evening [7pm – 9pm]

o Session – “Sharing our Sankirtan Realizations”

v Improvements/Feedback

v What worked?

o Kirtana and Vaisnava Songs

Sunday, May 1

· Morning

o Presentation – “Corporate Sankirtan” [8:30 am – 9 am]

o Presentation – “Kids Sankirtan” [8:30 am – 9 am]

o Presentation – “Motel Gita” [9 am – 9:30 am]

· Late Morning / Afternoon [11 am – 3pm]

o Field Trips

v Kids Sankirtan and Motel Gita

v Feedback/coaching on the field

· Sunday Feast

o Presentation – “Books are the Basis”

REGISTRATION:

Register by filling out this form: http://goo.gl/forms/M2J8B4f7pj

Contact: teamisv@gmail.com or call 510-516-1925. Registration is free. However, if you would like to make donations, we would gladly accept them.

Accommodation:

Team ISV can host up to 20 individuals registered on first come first serve basis. Prasadam will be provided during the seminar.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMBINING “HORIZONTAL” GROWTH WITH “VERTICAL” GROWTH and THE POWER OF LOVE TO REVEAL OUR OCCUPATION
→ Karnamrita's blog

Author: 
Karnamrita Das

Balance photo balance_zps6s44hnpd.jpg
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMBINING “HORIZONTAL” GROWTH WITH “VERTICAL,” OR SPIRITUAL, GROWTH: Much of what I write about could be called “horizontal” growth, or tools, thinking processes, angles of vision, or making the mind our friend, that while in of themselves are not counted as bhakti, they're essential for it, and to me, inseparable for remaining, or becoming, an enthusiastic devotee, and happy human being—the spiritual and material sides of life. Horizontal growth means in the broadest sense being a balanced person strongly influenced by the mode of goodness, where our physical, emotional, mental, and intellectual requirements are naturally addressed, but in such a way as to be made favorable for bhakti practices.

To put this in devotee lingo, we could say this is within the purpose of the socio-religious system of Varnasrama, but to me, without the baggage. Without getting into the details, formally designating a person as this or that varna appears counter-productive in today’s world. However, we can serve its purpose by helping devotees discover and deal with their life issues, become balanced and happy human beings, and find an occupation, and possibly a mate, that compliments their natural proclivities, all within the context of spiritual advancement.

Many devotees struggle from not addressing their past or personal life issues which bleed into their spiritual lives and can make it difficult to avoid making aparadhas or offenses to others and in fully absorbing themselves in sadhana, which is the ultimate healing method. In such a condition we have a divided mind and our out of integrity and in conflict with ourselves.

Some say to me, “Just chant Hare Krishna!”

Sure, if you can chant purely without distraction, and are happy in the process—go for it. I am all for that, and see the purpose of personal growth work as total absorption in the spiritual life.

read more

How Much Can You Tolerate?
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Giriraj Swami

"Titiksavah--the sadhu does not become disturbed. At the same time, karunikah. He is himself being disturbed, but he is merciful to others. "Just like Jesus Christ. He was being crucified, and still he was merciful: 'God, these people do not know what they are doing. Please excuse them.' This is sadhu. Personally, he is being disturbed by the demons, but still, he is merciful to the general people. They are suffering for want of Krsna consciousness. Even up to the point of death, he is trying to preach Krsna consciousness. 'Let the people be benefited. What is this material body? Even if I am killed, I am not killed; this body is killed, that's all.' This is sadhu. Titiksavah karunikah. On the one side he is tolerant, and on the other side, merciful. Continue reading "How Much Can You Tolerate?
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Is Mark Twain pleased with the devotees? (Album with…
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Is Mark Twain pleased with the devotees? (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Dunedin is the second largest city of New Zealand’s South Island. It has a population of 120,000, 10 per cent of whom are students studying in the town’s universities. After a visit to Dunedin in the mid-1890s, the American writer Mark Twain said: “The people here are Scots. They stopped here on their way to heaven, thinking they had already arrived.” Jahnava-mata dasi has developed a thriving temple in the town with a number of activities, including a daily lunch program that is very popular at a local university. During our short stay we held harinam, did both a radio and television program and finished with a very successful public festival. I think Mark Twain would be pleased to know that for a day and half, Dunedin was just like Vaikuntha!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/JY9yVM

Observations on ISKCON’s Communications
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In this article Brother Aelred (Chaitanya Dasa) offers his observations on the effectiveness of ISKCON’s communication of its key messages. These are particularly valuable in view of Brother Aelred’s close association with ISKCON over the years and his unusual position of being both a practising Catholic monk and Vaishnava. He is frank and insightful,with a sincere desire to help devotees. As the Scottish poet Robbie Burns once said, ‘I pray to God the power to give us, to see ourselves as others see us’.

When I first made contact with ISKCON, Prabhupada was still alive. At that time ― 1977 ― I was already ‘falling in love’ with the devotees. No doubt a percentage of that was romanticism ― being attracted to the externals of exotic appearances, sounds and lifestyle. After all, the sixties ‘hippy’ movement was not so far back in time.

Out of this emerges the first serious observation I wish to make. A significant number of ISKCON devotees are still effectively living in that ‘exotic space’ of the past. I have asked ― as have others ― whether some devotees would survive without this identity, whose elements include at least some of the Bengali cultural artefacts, the cultivated sense of being ‘different’ from mainstream society, the conviction of living in a spiritually superior movement, and so on.

The objection may immediately be raised that ISKCON does indeed create and provide a ‘spiritually superior society”. My response would be that yes, in a variety of ways it does. This is beyond doubt. This is not the content to which I am referring: rather it is the uses that are made of ISKCON’s high standards of spiritual discipline. There are occasions when this lifestyle is used as a ‘tribal banner’, whose purpose is to enforce separation and distinctiveness. Where this is happening, spiritual pride may not be far away; a sectarian mood will certainly be very close. Effective communication with mainstream society will be seriously weakened in such an artificial and negative environment of ideas.

Even more seriously, there is the question of the extent to which various Vaishnava teachings (for example, on reincarnation or specific teachings of Prabhupada such as ‘the association of devotees is our only consolation’) are used to separate devotees ― at least to some degree unnecessarily ― from citizens in mainstream society.

This ‘us and them’ mentality interferes with the effective communication necessary for dynamic and convincing preaching. There are sufficient numbers of devotees holding this stance to undermine ISKCON’s credibility, at least in the eyes of observant members of the public and government. These tribal attitudes also distort the perceptions and expectations of young devotees who have recently entered the movement.

There is another serious outcome of this mentality: many former enthusiastic Christians have either been blocked in their attempts to reconcile their past with their Vaishnava present or have developed a great burden of personal guilt and ambivalence with respect to their ongoing devotional attachment to Jesus Christ. I am now speaking from personal experience in counselling such devotees.

This crisis of ‘Who am I? Where am I? What can I do with my continuing (secret) devotion to Jesus?’ can create very real distress. Sadly, such devotees usually report that they have gone for years without finding anyone within the temple with whom they can share their confusion and distress. Obviously, I am delighted that I can contribute to ‘setting the record straight’ by sharing with them the many wonderful things which Prabhupada said about devotion to Jesus Christ (though not about Christianity as it is so often practised) I can also share with them the story of one who has successfully ‘married’ the two traditions, Vaishnava and Roman Catholic – my own story. This has been a major reason for publishing my most recent book Prabhupada Speaks on Jesus Christ. Devotees have told me that they had no idea that Prabhupada said such wonderful things about Jesus, and about the significance of devotion to Him.

I have gradually come to the conclusion that many of the difficulties in the area of communication experienced by ISKCON ― both intra and inter ― have arisen from a relative lack of systematic application of Vaishnava and Bhaktivedanta teachings. In other words, there tends to be a naive view that it is sufficient to simply quote Srimad Bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta or Prabhupada’s words , for a matter or issue to be resolved. This is what is happening ― at least sometimes ― when the call goes out in a particular temple that there should be ‘a return to Prabhupada and the basics’.

But this may not be enough in some situations, especially if they are complex or ambiguous. We might consider, for example, the role of ISKCON women in management and other forms of leadership. Very often there will need to be in-depth analysis where although what Prabhupada taught or said is the basic reference point, there may need to be an application of his instruction (or indeed an adaptation of it) rather than a simple repeating of it. This application may involve devotees entering areas of debate which Prabhupada himself did not envisage in his lifetime. I think that we may expect this to happen with increasing frequency as the Movement goes into the ternty-first century . and beyond. Social pressures, demands, developments and technologies are set to change on a massive scale, and I fear that our ‘born-again fundamentalists’ will be left behind.

The very nature of our time incurs a need for real ideas. We live in a rudderless age of transition and ideas are anchors, Pole Stars, that have always been there and are still, if only we might know how to recognise them. That recognition is to a great extent dependent on the language used to convey them. We need a manner of speaking that addresses our present condition and is echoed in our personal experience1.

I put it to my readers that ‘tribal mentality’ is a great enemy of ‘real ideas’ and ‘manner of speaking that addresses our present condition’. It also smothers the language of ‘personal experience’.

Yet having said all this, I am greatly encouraged to share with you some of the conclusions emerging from a Ph.D thesis written by an Australian Anglican priest who is a good friend of ISKCON. Fr. Ian Hunter’s thesis is entitled Some Aspects of the Religious, Social and Personal Lives of Hare Krishna Devotees Exploring the Social Integration of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness’. (1993)

I repeat what I said at the beginning, that what I have written is based on personal observation. My conclusions will be more or less valid according to which part of the ISKCON ‘landscape’ is being explored. For this reason it is enlightening to have access to this piece of sociological research, with whichwe move beyond the personal and anecdotal (whatever validity these may have) into conclusions based on disciplined scholarship. In quoting some of Ian Hunter’s conclusions, therefore, I hope that I am providing a reasonable perspective:

(1) . it is a tempting supposition that conversion to most other alternative religions would have occurred mainly in moments of crisis … My experience, and that of most clergy, leads to that supposition, and this factor alone accounts for the sometimes surprised reaction of most conventional religionists when they actually get to know ISKCON devotees.

It is quite plain that for the most part, their experiences of family of origin and circumstances of origin, is regarded as an important spiritual foundation for their lives in Krishna Consciousness.

… as having close mental and emotional ties with their families and circumstances of origin (including religion of origin) and through them, a strong sense of identification with the general society outside of ISKCON.

(2) . Generally speaking, the ISKCON devotees in Australia present as mature religionists who welcome and even attempt to initiate such changes (a process of maturing) … These changes can do nothing except forge more sympathetic connections with Australian Society generally and would certainly be the motive for devotees presenting themselves as constructive social beings and good citizens.

(3) … it is possible to make a cautious affirmation that the interviewees were more closely drawn into normal society as useful social beings because of the concept (personalist) of God they had adopted … like a key which unlocks their ability to make sense of the world because they can at last make sense o f God.

Without this, there would have been few points of contact for most of them (the ISKCON devotees) with ordinary social interaction and certainly no sympathetic interaction with anyone in ordinary secular society …

Yet, for those who possess it, the ‘personalism’ of ISKCON’s view of God, makes personal interaction with society at large possible for the devotees, where it might well have been problematic without it.

(4) … The comments of Balarama and Stoka Krishna illustrate that existential significance for them meant a definite closing of the gap between religion and the outside world with which they wished to relate more fully …

(5) … The enthusiasm of the convert is still with all of the group and yet each seemed determined to respect the world outside ISKCON, although they regarded it as being enmeshed in dangerous illusion (maya). So there is a definite sense of belonging to secular society, even if there is an intense desire to save that society from its own self-imposed destruction by preaching to it the tenets of Gaudiya Vaishnavism …

(6) In many cases, membership of ISKCON seems to have healed a perceived breach with Australian society experienced by the interviewees in that ISKCON devotees are certainly better functioning social entities than members of the ‘hippie’ culture or disillusioned social nihilists …

(7) … it cannot be denied that alternative religions can and do encourage a feeling of superiority in their members, and this can often blend with psychopathology of some converts …

There would be as many potentially dangerous psychopaths in ISKCON Australia as there are in any other alternative religion … (some individual devotees) are conspicuous by their scarcely-stifled anger at the outside world. It could be argued that these people would be much more dangerous in a religious system other than ISKCON which has powerful doctrinal and communal inhibitors which prevent that anger surfacing in anti-social ways …

ISKCON is a ‘new’ old movement ― in the West, that is. When I think of the history of ancient Christianity ― in particular the first five centuries ― I consider that ISKCON has done, and is doing, remarkably well. Vaishnavism in the West stands up well by comparison, but that is certainly no reason for smugness or complacency. The familiar dangers are always there.

One of the main dangers is the assumption that because ISKCON is Prabhupada’s movement and the modern extension of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement, ‘ordinary’ fundamentals of social communication are ‘beneath notice’; that Krishna’s service is ‘over and above’ such mundane considerations.

1Houseden, Rodger. Fire in the Heart: Everyday Life as Spiritual Practice, Element Books, 1990, p .8.

Nyastadanda Jayanti 2016 – videos of our recent Annual Festival…
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Nyastadanda Jayanti 2016 - videos of our recent Annual Festival at Dandabhanga.
Srila Prabhupada: We should take any lila of Krishna as Supreme. The Vrindavan lila, Krishna’s lila with the gopis, is the most confidential lila. We should not entertain this confidential lila unless we are liberated. It is very difficult subject. And because they cannot understand what is Krishna’s lila, they imitate, they fall down. Vrindavan, August 11, 1974.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/sPbHDv

Hollywood Movie Filming At The Temple – Extras Needed! Last…
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Hollywood Movie Filming At The Temple - Extras Needed!
Last month, the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple was contacted by a local production company that is working with Hollywood-based filmmakers for an upcoming big-budget movie set to be released in 2018. They were scouting locations for a film shoot and came upon our building and fell in love with it! They contacted the temple to see if they could shoot a major scene of the movie at the temple this spring.
We have been given permission to share that the movie is a futuristic zombie-apocalypse story and it has one key scene which takes place wherein the main characters take refuge in a temple only to find that it’s monks are also zombies! The movie producers want the scene to be shot at our temple!
Needless to say, the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple spent the last several weeks carefully combing through the script of the movie to ensure that there was nothing that would portray our faith in a negative light. Having given the green light, we are happy to announce that the production company has given us a chance to ask our own community members if they would like to play roles as background extras in the movie. Some extras will also be dressed as zombies!
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/4nTnLB

A new Sannyasi for Iskcon: Bhakti ratnakara Ambar Swami. He…
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A new Sannyasi for Iskcon: Bhakti ratnakara Ambar Swami.
He accepted the sannyasa order today (1 April 2016) in Vrindavana by HH Gopal Krishna Swami.
Srila Prabhupada: Krishna takes special appreciation for His devotees who are engaged in risking for His preaching work, and He will give you special care and guidance at all times because you are sincerely trying to serve Him in this way. Letter to Amogha, August 9, 1972.

Students Join Nairobi Hare Krishna Training Centre. The new…
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Students Join Nairobi Hare Krishna Training Centre.
The new ‘Hare Krishna Training Centre’ in Nairobi, Kenya, has become a popular accommodation destination for local students, who are chanting, studying Srila Prabhupada’s books, and following the four regulative principles of Krishna consciousness. The idea germinated when manager Govinda Prema Das and others began trying to follow Prabhupada’s instructions to reach out to local Africans, rather than Hindus. “It is an African country,” the ISKCON founder told Brahmananda Das, who was preaching in Nairobi in 1971. “They are the proprietors. We should be preaching to them.” Later that same year, he wrote to Chyavana, “I am very pleased to hear that the African boys are becoming serious devotees.”
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/gHIhgB

Please Remember – 5 min. hip-hop musical video based on Sri…
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Please Remember - 5 min. hip-hop musical video based on Sri Isopanisad Mantra 17.
vayur anilam amritam athedam bhasmantam sariram om krato smara kritam smara krato smara kritam smara
TRANSLATION: Let this temporary body be burnt to ashes, and let the air of life be merged with the totality of air. Now, O my Lord, please remember all my sacrifices, and because You are the ultimate beneficiary, please remember all that I have done for You.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/QS3J4R

Album of beautiful photos from ISKCON Vrindavan’s Boat…
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Album of beautiful photos from ISKCON Vrindavan’s Boat Festival 2016
Srila Prabhupada: “My heart is always burning in the fire of material existence, and I have made no provisions for getting out of it. The only remedy is hari-nama-sankirtana, the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which is imported from the spiritual world, Goloka-Vrndavana. How unfortunate I am that I have no attraction for this. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.1.22 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Mgs2j9

April 1. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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April 1. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Paradox Restaurant.
The Paradox, at 64 East 7th Street on the Lower East Side, was a restaurant dedicated to the philosophy of George Ohsawa and the macrobiotic diet. It was a storefront below street level with small dining tables placed around the candlelit room. The food was inexpensive and well-reputed. Tea was served free, as much as you liked. More than just a restaurant, The Paradox was a center for spiritual and cultural interests, a meeting place reminiscent of the cafes of Greenwich Village or Paris in the 1920s. A person could spend the whole day at The Paradox without buying anything, and no one would complain. The crowd at the Paradox was a mystical congregation, interested in teachings from the East. When news of the new Swami uptown at Dr. Mishra’s reached The Paradox, the word spread quickly.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Hollywood Movie Filming at the Temple – Extras Needed!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

Last month, the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple was contacted by a local production company that is working with Hollywood-based filmmakers for an upcoming big-budget movie set to be released in 2018.  They were scouting locations for a film shoot and came upon our building and fell in love with it!  They contacted the temple to see if they could shoot a major scene of the movie at the temple this spring.

We have been given permission to share that the movie is a futuristic zombie-apocalypse story and it has one key scene which takes place wherein the main characters take refuge in a temple only to find that it's monks are also zombies!  The movie producers want the scene to be shot at our temple!

Needless to say, the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple spent the last several weeks carefully combing through the script of the movie to ensure that there was nothing that would portray our faith in a negative light.  Having given the green light, we are happy to announce that the production company has given us a chance to ask our own community members if they would like to play roles as background extras in the movie.  Some extras will also be dressed as zombies!

Each actor/actress will be financially compensated and the movie producers will also be making a sizable donation to the temple once shooting is complete (by the end of the spring).

We have been assured that all filming will take place during the week when the temple is less busy and that there will be no interference with regular weekend programming (Sunday Feasts, etc).

If you are interested in being an extra in the movie, please feel free to fill out the form below.  You can also learn more about this futuristic zombie movie by visiting their official website.

Click here to view the official poster of the movie which shows a "zombie Hare Krishna"!

For those of you who figured we are too spiritual to play tricks on you, we'd like to wish you a Happy April Fool's Day!!! There will be no zombies roaming the halls of our temple... at least, not for now! (Check out previous years' Aprils Fools jokes herehere and here!)


First 2016 GBC College Residential Session Completed
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From Beijing to Belgium, from Bulgaria to Buenos Aires, from Canada to Karnataka, from Nairobi to Naperville, from Istanbul to England, From Delhi to Gaborone, to Slovenia, to Switzerland, to Ecuador, to Romania, Poland, etc., four dozen leaders assembled in the Govardhan Ecovillage outside of Mumbai, learning for thirteen days at the GBC College for Leadership Development how to serve as Zonal Supervisors. 

Students Join Nairobi Hare Krishna Training Centre
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The new ‘Hare Krishna Training Centre’ in Nairobi, Kenya, has become a popular accommodation destination for local students, who are chanting, studying Srila Prabhupada’s books, and following the four regulative principles of Krishna consciousness.  The idea germinated when manager Govinda Prema Das and others began trying to follow Prabhupada’s instructions to reach out to local Africans, rather than Hindus. 

Is there a scientific explanation for “changing…
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Is there a scientific explanation for “changing bodies”?
Question: Is there any scientific explanation for the concept of changing bodies? Could a spirit soul transfer to a completely different universe or dimension? Does the soul remain in the body after death for any amount of time?
Our Answer: Anyone can prove to themselves, using scientific methods, that they perpetually remain the same conscious entity while the body perpetually changes. It’s simply a matter of hypothesis and observation. Depending on what kind of science you accept as valid, the Bhagavad-gita gives a thoroughly scientific explanation of transmigration of consciousness through different bodies, especially in the eighth chapter. You may also want to examine Dr. Ian Stevenson’s three thousand case studies of children remembering past lives.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/eAm79a

How can we practically understand that shaking an apple tree may lead to the falling of mangoes?
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To ask guidance from visiting devotees and to not follow it – is that offensive?
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If some devotees deal insensitively with us in our in our early days, how can we overcome the scars?
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Eating can be spiritualized, but how can mating be spiritualized?
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How do sages like Kardama Muni enjoy material things despite being great spiritualists?
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God is not a means to an end – he is himself the highest end 
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ārtā devān namasyanti

tapaḥ kurvanti rogiṇaḥ

nirdhanā dānam icchanti

vṛddhā nārī pati-vratā

ārtāh — the distressed; devān — to the gods; namasyanti — pay obeisances; tapaḥ — austerities; kurvanti — perform; rogiṇaḥ — the diseased; nirdhanāh — the poverty-stricken; dānam — donations; icchanti — desire [to give]; vṛddhā — old; nārī — lady; pati-vratā — is devoted to her husband;
“The distressed automatically start paying obeisances to the gods [for they have no other option]. The diseased naturally perform various austerities [for they have no other option]. The poverty-stricken desire to give big donations [for they do not have the option of doing it in real life] and an old lady automatically shows devotion to her husband [for all hope of attracting paramours is lost].”

— (Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra, Sāmānya-nītiḥ, page 157, Verse 168)

[Verse and translation provided by Hari Parshad Prabhu] 

Life’s temptations frequently deviate us from the right path – they make us give up principle for pleasure. Conversely life’s tribulations, especially tribulations that we have no hope of solving on our own, impel us to the right path; they make us accept the available even if it is not particularly appealing, because the alternative is utterly unpalatable. This Subhashita talks about such forced choosing of the right course of action.

People often have a similar utilitarian attitude towards God. Such motivated devotion is usually interrupted devotion. When things go wrong in our life, we come rushing to God; and when things start looking up, we bid him goodbye.

The mistaken notion that God is a dispensable means is illustrated in an insurance company’s ad: “If you don’t have our insurance, it’s time to say your prayers.” Actually, it is always the time to say our prayers and to connect with God. Why? Because we as souls are his eternal parts, and we can find lasting happiness only in loving and serving him. Moreover, even in dealing with our practical problems while living in this material world, no solution can work without God’s sanction. Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.19) illustrates how the apparent solution can’t provide the actual solution, if divine sanction is missing: parents can’t always protect their children; medicines can’t always save the sick; and boats can’t always rescue the drowning. Extending this principle, we can contemplate that the insurance company too can’t guarantee us relief. What if it goes bankrupt at the same time when we are facing a crisis?

Of course, motivated devotion is better than no devotion at all – instead of living godlessly, we at least believe in God and worship him, even if for self-centered purposes. How we can rise from motivated devotion to pure devotion is outlined in the Bhagavad-gita (07.16-19). The first verse (07.16) mentions four kinds of people who approach Krishna and start worshiping him: the distressed, the inquisitive, the wealth-seekers and the knowledgeable. Krishna appreciates all of them for their piety in approaching him – he calls them as large-hearted (07.18). Yet he lauds especially the knowledgeable, for they are unmotivated in approaching him – they are interested only in him, so their devotion is one-pointed (07.17). He concludes the section by declaring (07.19) that after many lifetimes, the motivated become unmotivated when they finally understand that Krishna is everything – he is the embodiment and fulfillment of all our heart’s aspiration for happiness (vasudevah sarvam iti).

When we see Krishna as a means to an end, we focus on him only till we get that end. Not only that, if we feel that we can get that end by some other means, we turn away from him. If we find that we can’t get it by any other means, we return to him. But such return doesn’t last for long – it ends when we start feeling that some other means might work better. Thus, we keep taking U-turns in our journey towards Krishna.

The best way to come end such oscillation is by philosophically understanding and experientially realizing that he is the highest end of everything. And Krishna is the end not in the negative sense of the exhaustion of something desirable – he is the end in the positive sense of the termination of something troublesome. Our long and harrying search for happiness that has extended over many turbulent lifetimes ends when we are united with Krishna in love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Srivasa Thakura
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Sri Srivasa Thakur is incarnation of Narada muni. He appeared in Shrihatta and lived there along with his 3 brothers Sripati, Srinidhi and Srirama. The four brothers after sometime came to live in Mayapur – at the house of Srivasa Thakur – Srivas Angan, located next to Yogapitha. Every day they used to go to […]

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