How can we know that we have done our best in our services or relationships?
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Answer Podcast


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If people are nasty to us, should we as devotees just be detached from it?
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Answer Podcast


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Preaching program in New Dwarka, Iskcon Los Angeles (Album with…
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Preaching program in New Dwarka, Iskcon Los Angeles (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One who feels he is not yet ready to live in a temple, especially householders who live with a wife and children, can start a center at home by installing the Deity, worshipping the Lord morning and evening, chanting Hare Krishna and discussing the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madya-lila, 3.190 Purport)
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Gaura Purnima Festival in Israel (Album with photos) Srila…
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Gaura Purnima Festival in Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The members of the present Krishna consciousness movement were not born in India, nor do they belong to the Vedic culture, but within the short time they have become such wonderful devotees simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra that even in India they are well received as perfectly well behaved Vaisnavas wherever they go. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 17.1 Purport)
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Female Chauvinism in ISKCON
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Aren’t you sick of being seen as just a piece of meat? An exploitable toy? I want the Hare Krishnas out of hardcore, and I’ll tell you why: blatant sexism. Sexism has no place in our scene. Female domination and male subordination must end!

That’s how I opened the “Sexist Things Krishna’s Say” article in Enquirer #6, which was attempt to unexpectedly flip the tables and show a plethora of Prabhupāda quotes about the superiority of women.

[Prabhupāda] belittles the male’s role in marriage by repeatedly describing the wife as, “the better half of the husband.” (SB 1.7.45)

A man is portrayed as spiritually incompetent. The “foolish” and “hard-hearted” man is said to be completely dependent on the mercy of his “good wife.” Without her help he cannot be elevated. Prabhupāda says, “the wife is considered to be the source of all liberation.” (SB 3.14.17) Thus, “Husbands as a class cannot repay their debt to women, either in this life or in the next.” (SB 3.14.21). “The wife is mentioned here as ishta, which means ‘worshipable.’” (SB 4.13.12)

The spiritual master of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s guru instructs that the wife should always be seen as the greatest exalted devotee. The husband should respectfully place the dust of her feet on his head, and serve her like a menial servant. He is to serve her every meal, taking for himself only what she leaves behind. And what fate awaits a husband who won’t do all this? Surely, he falls down into hellish existence. (Bab., part 1)

heraNext to this I had a painting of the Hera Pañcamī festival of Goddess Laxmī, showing the goddess on on a throne surrounded by women who were forcing men with bald heads and pony tails to bow down in supplication, threatening them with sticks.

Women are advised not to be allured by men, who are death-like representatives of Māyā [illusion and lust] “A woman foolishly looks upon māyā in the form of a man, her husband. A woman, therefore, should consider her husband… to be the arrangement of the external energy of the Lord for her death, just as the sweet singing of the hunter is death for the deer.” (SB 3.31.41-42)

Women, on the other hand, are to be seen as embodiments of divinity and the representatives of intelligence (SB 4.25.21). Krishna himself declares all these good qualities to be feminine, “Among women I am fame, fortune, fine speech, memory, intelligence, steadfastness, and patience.” (Gītā 10.34) Even the ultimate source of intelligence, the Vedas (the body of knowledge on which the Hare Krishna movement is based) is treated as being of feminine gender. (SB 3.24.15)

Hare Krishna’s claim that their movement is based on spiritual equality. The truth, however, is that women are awarded absolute superiority, even in the realm of the soul. “The soul… is supposed to be originally a woman.” (SB 3.31.41) Hare Krishna’s boldly assert that the highest spiritual perfection is exclusively in the domain of the female (Cc. Mad.8.79). Without serving those most perfect women, a man has no hope of entering the spiritual world (Cc Mad.8.223). It is absolutely impossible, they say, for a male to attain that level of perfection, he must first become a woman (Cc. Mad.8.225).

Obviously this article was a parody, but by giving this glaringly one-sided interpretation I hoped to demonstrate that the male chauvinism in ISKCON (or the claims of sexism against us) was based on similarly one-sided interpretations.

Female chauvinism is a distorted view of Krishna consciousness. Male chauvinism is an equally distorted view. Both positions are based on hasty, unwarranted conclusions deduced from isolated quotes taken out of context.

– Excerpt from an early draft of

Train Wrecks and Transcendence: A Collision of Hardcore and Hare Krishna

By Vraja Kishor [VrajaKishor.com]


Tagged: chauvanism, female, female superiority, Femininity, Krishna, sexism, spiritual femininity

Kirtan program at the Hare Krishna temple in Watford, UK (Album…
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Kirtan program at the Hare Krishna temple in Watford, UK (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Krishna consciousness movement supplies materially stricken people with the medicine of the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and the diet of prasadam. The centres of the Krishna consciousness movement are the only established hospitals that can cure man of birth, death, old age and disease. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 10.51 Purport)
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Vritrasura lila analysis 1 – The setting for the stunning twist in the storyline
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Srimad Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Adelaide

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Open Day at the Bhaktivedanta Manor (2 min video) Srila…
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Open Day at the Bhaktivedanta Manor (2 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: “If one only chants, with some slight faith, the holy names of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, then very quickly he is cleansed of all offences. Thus as soon as he chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, he feels the ecstasy of love for God.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.31)
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Harinama in Israel (Album with photos) Srila Prabhupada: “As a…
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Harinama in Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “As a result of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead. The holy name of Krishna is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these transcendental riches.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.28)
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Mapping our inner territory – Anartha nivritti explained from Madhuraya Kadambini
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Retreat at Ballarat, Session 3
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New Raman Reti’s new Krishna Institute
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Are you completely satisfied and happy with your life? If your honest answer is no, the Krishna Institute may be able to help you.

The Krishna Institute (KI) launches its service to the Vaishnava Community on May 21, 2016, at ISKCON of Alachua with Sacinandana Swami and Madhava Dasa. The inaugural event is the two-day interactive Dharma Workshop: Discover Your Mission in Life.

Recognizing the significant contribution the KI will make to Srila Prabhupada’s mission in the USA, the International Coordinating Committee for ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations has scheduled KI’s inauguration as a National Event.

Offered in a newly developed retreat facility surrounded by nature’s beauty in a secluded area of the temple property, the Dharma Workshop will benefit attendees of all ages regardless of how many years they have been ISKCON members. Even a senior devotee can “get a new lease on life” or a renewed and revitalized outlook, as well as potentially discover a deeply satisfying “second career (service)” by participating in this workshop and accessing the wealth of knowledge and realization coming in our Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

To know more of what to expect, please visit our website for details and take a minute to read testimonials from participants in the Dharma Workshop offered by Sacinandana Swami at the Bhaktivedanta Manor in February of 2015. This workshop was the ripened fruit of Maharaja’s fourteen years of research into the best way to discover one’s mission in life.

After the Dharma Workshop the Krishna Institute (KI) will offer many other workshops, along with retreats, seminars, and courses, that will systematically equip each participant with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to fulfill their unique mission. On May 23 Madhava Dasa and Radhika-devi Dasi will offer The Qualities and Mood of a Kirtaniya: Realizations from Six Years of Kirtan with Aindra Prabhu, and from May 24 to 26 Sacinandana Swami and Madhava Dasa will lead The Holy Name Retreat.

Both events will offer deeply satisfying experiences and are included in Kirtan – From Your Heart to the World (May 23 to June 27), a traveling kirtan experience that will go from Alachua via the Youth Ministry bus to the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, NY Ratha-yatra, and New Vrindavan’s Kulimela and 24-hour Kirtan (both events are open for all, not just for those on the bus tour).

Based upon the association and facilitation of devotees such as Amala Harinama Dasa, Bada Haridas Dasa, BB Govinda Swami, Bhakti Charu Swami, Gauravani Dasa, Giriraja Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Madhava Dasa, Manorama Dasa, Nadia Mani-devi Dasi, Radhanatha Swami, Sacinandana Swami, and Vaisesika Dasa, Kirtan – From Your Heart to the World will inspire chanting from the heart and provide the skills and mood to share the pure name with the world.

Here’s our schedule subsequent to these initial offerings:

July 2 – 4 | Temple Worship Workshop, with Jayananda Dasa and Raghunatha Dasa

September 18 | Start of a two-year Bhakti-sastri Course. Workshops (English & Spanish) will be held just before the Sunday program. Part-time English-medium facilitators include Dhruva Maharaja Dasa, Hari Parayana Dasa, Janmastami Dasa, Nagaraja Dasa, Nanda-devi Dasi, Nitai-lila-devi Dasi, Prana Govinda Dasa, Rucira-devi Dasi, Sukhada-devi Dasi, and Svaha-devi Dasi. Part-time Spanish-medium facilitators include Bhakti Prabhupada-vrata Damodara Swami, Nanda-devi Dasi, and Krisodari-devi Dasi.

November 4 – 6 | ISKCON Leadership and Management Workshop, with Anuttama Dasa and Tamohara Dasa

November 20 | Start of the Grihastha Training Workshops (twelve 3-hour sessions one Sunday a month for a year), with Tamohara Dasa and Mantrini-devi Dasi

KI’s educational offerings evoke the mood of Srila Prabhupada’s Seven Purposes of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness when he incorporated ISKCON fifty years ago. ISKCON temples that have imbibed Prabhupada’s mood of education and training have become vibrant success stories, with many full-time devotees and enthusiastic congregations to inspire Vaishnavas for generations to come.

With this vision the GBC has asked our team to launch the Krishna Institute. We pray that our efforts will spark steady growth in Srila Prabhupada’s movement nationwide.

Please go to our website for more information, or feel free to write us at contact us if you have any questions.

Hare Krishna!

ISKCON’s 50th Year Celebrations at The Bhakti Tree, Newcastle NSW
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By Amala Prema devi dasi

The Bhakti Tree in Newcastle, NSW, Australia, the hub of loving exchanges, delicious food and transcendental sound vibrations celebrated its 1st anniversary and ISKCON’s 50th year anniversary on Friday, 18th of March. World-renowned international kirtaniya, His Grace Madhava Naidoo led the evening. More than 150 people attended the evening and enjoyed delicious prasadam. The Bhakti Tree has become a steadily growing community center, which gathered all its well-wishers, community members, volunteers, kirtan and yoga enthusiasts under the same roof on this special evening. The Bhakti Tree hosts, His Grace Abhay Charan dasa and Her Grace Jayanti devi dasi certainly made everyone feel welcomed and cared for as many expressed their heartfelt thanks to them for nurturing the seed of the Bhakti Tree and turning it into a peaceful space for all.

His Grace Madhava Prabhu relentlessly and humbly represents the cult of bhakti as introduced by our ISKCON founder-acarya His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada 50 years ago, all around the world. As Madhava Prabhu epitomized the kirtan mood in the evening, we have been fortunate to experience kirtan which is not an artistic performance but a sincere call to the Divine energy by which we try to open our hearts more and more to bring in real love into our lives, and share it with others. Madhava Prabhu eased us into chanting of several mantras ending with the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. He got the Bhakti Tree all ears and as the crowd imbibed the transcendental sound vibration of the holy names, the kirtan built up into a mood of ecstasy where everyone participated enthusiastically in dancing, clapping and chanting their hearts out.

The Bhakti Tree, the city arm for New Gokula Farm and Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda temple, Millfield, in the Hunter Valley operates as a Café/Restaurant serving vegetarian lunches Tuesdays through to Saturdays between 11:30am and 2pm, and is also an attractive destination teaching spiritual traditions and culture. It holds two main weekly programmes; yoga class followed by prasadam on Wednesday evenings at 6pm, and kirtan followed by prasadam on Friday evenings again at 6pm. The Bhakti Tree serves about 700 lunches a week at the University of Newcastle on a recommended donation basis. The Bhakti Tree is actively spreading the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu through chanting, dancing and feasting.

Please cherish some of the photos from the evening, and feel inspired to take the opportunity to come and meet all the wonderful people at the Bhakti Tree if you are in this area. You may visit The Bhakti Tree Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/thebhaktitree for more photos from the evening, and join their page if you have not done so yet, in order to stay informed about all the upcoming events and updates at the Bhakti Tree.

your servant,

Amala Prema devi dasi

March 28. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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March 28. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: “But If the Disciple is In Ignorance …”
Prabhupada is speaking on the qualifications of a spiritual master and a disciple:
Suppose you accept the wrong person as a spiritual master and he guides you wrongly. Then your whole life is spoiled. So one has to accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make one’s life perfect. That is the relationship between spiritual master and disciple. It is not a formality. It is a great responsibility, both for the disciple and the spiritual master. … Yes?
Student: But if the disciple is in ignorance before …
Prabhupada: Yes. (Prabhupada acknowledges a serious question. It is for answering questions like this – from “disciples in ignorance” – that he has left retirement in India and come to America.)
Student: … how does he know which master to choose? – Because he doesn’t have the knowledge to make a wise decision.
Prabhupada: Yes. So, the first thing is that one should be searching after a spiritual master, just as you search after some school, you must at least have some preliminary knowledge of what a school is. You can’t search for a school and go to a cloth shop. If you are so ignorant that you do not know what is a school and what is a cloth shop, then it is very difficult for you. You must know, at least, what a school is. So that knowledge is like this:
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GAURA acronym – 5 glorious qualities of Lord Chaitanya
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Gaur Purnima lecture at ISKCON Canberra
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How faith contributes to harmony – Multi-faith meeting
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Interfaith program at Queensland College of Art
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Why Our Sangas Fall Short…
→ The Enquirer

In ISKCON and many other modern attempts to implement Krishna bhakti, one of the biggest mistakes classically made is to focus primarily on anartha-nivṛtti rather than artha-pravṛtti – trying to annihilate “bad” things rather than on proliferating “good” things. This approach is doomed. Removing the bad (a) is too difficult, and (b) does not necessarily bring in anything good. But bringing in the good (a) is much more pleasant, and (b) automatically gets rid of the bad. This is why there is no need for any karma (religion), prayaścitta (pennance), etc for a bhakta – the bhakti itself is the most powerful purifier. 

This is a point Rūpa Goswāmī repeatedly makes explicit in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu. It is also a main point Krishna makes several times, often with very strong language, in Bhagavad Gītā. Śrīla Prabhupāda himself, ISKCON’s founder, taught it as simply as possible by explaining that a child cannot be stopped from mischief, but if you give the child something non-mischievous to enjoy, he or she will easily and naturally stop their misbehavior. 

I don’t know why we couldn’t embrace this. Perhaps because we are more interested in criticism, and criticism goes with negativity and annihilation? Anyhow, for whatever reason, a hopeless tug of war with genitalia very often becomes more of a focus than Śrī Krishna nāma, rūpa, guṇa and līlā – and everything in that sanga becomes strange, negative, distasteful, perverted and sad. This can all change simply by paying far more attention to the beauty and wonder of Krishna’s name, form, qualities and pastimes, and not paying so much explicit attention to the very insignificant affairs of sticks and cavities.

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com


Tagged: ISKCON

Rob a Bank for Krishna
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QUESTION: In his purport on the 10th Mantra of Īśopaniṣad, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes that everything is related to the Supreme Brahman or Kṛṣṇa, and thus everything belongs to Him only.” So, can I go rob a bank or be a drug dealer with the consciousness that I will use it for Krsna – like, I will build temples, print books, take care of devotees etc.? 

Prabhupada refers here to the 1st mantra in the book, the īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ mantra, which says, “Everything belongs to a master, and all of us should only take what is set aside for us.” 

The second part is quite important. It’s not, “Everything belongs to Krishna, so I can take whatever I want so long as I somehow describe it or think of it as being for his sake.” The second part — tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam — forbids this, by saying “Everything belongs to a master, we should only take what is allotted to us, and should never try to take what is allotted to others.”

Even if you want to serve that master, Krishna, you have to do it with what has been allotted to you.

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com


Tagged: Dharma, ethics, Morality

Easter, Jesus and Prabhupada
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Unknown220px-Noel-coypel-the-resurrection-of-christ-1700

The resurrection of Jesus is the Christian religious belief that, after being put to death, Jesus rose again from the dead. It is the central tenet of Christian Theology and part of the Nicene Creed: “On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.”

Srila Prabhupada said: “Yes, just look at Jesus Christ—crucified. What was his fault? He was simply teaching God consciousness. Of course, he was not killed. Nobody can kill the Lord’s pure devotee.”

“Such a great personality, the son of God. He wanted to deliver God consciousness. And in return, he was crucified. We don’t take Jesus Christ as insignificant. We give him all honour. He is a pure representative of God. “

Entombment_of_Christ_(15th_century,_Tretyakov_gallery)Fra_Angelico_-_Resurrection_of_Christ_and_Women_at_the_Tomb_(Cell_8)_-_WGA00542

Let’s get serious
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 December 2014, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture 6.1.50)

SP_seriousQuestion: You have said that we are on our own and it is up to us to go back home, back to Godhead. What are we supposed to do?

Take devotional service very serious. Take it very serious! That is what we are supposed to do. Really, all I can say is: Be serious about serious things.

We can have lots of fun. Everyone wants some fun – so we can joke, we can play, we can feast and so on, but let’s be serious about serious things! Serious about chanting sixteen rounds, serious about following four regulative principles, serious about reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, serious about devotional service, serious about our ashram. Let’s be serious about serious things and then we will find that gradually we have become very focused and that we have become very serious about going back to Godhead.

Gaura Purnima festival in Barnaul, Russia, 26/03/16 (Album with…
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Gaura Purnima festival in Barnaul, Russia, 26/03/16 (Album with 589 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Two Lords, Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, They have appeared just to reclaim the fallen souls of this age. They are more kind than Krishna. Krishna, He is also very kind. He comes to deliver. But Krishna demands that first of all surrender. Caitanya Mahaprabhu even does not demand surrender. He is so kind (voice choking) So take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and be happy. Thank you very much. (weeping). Atlanta, February 28, 1975.
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New Service in the Community of Raman Reti, Iskcon…
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New Service in the Community of Raman Reti, Iskcon Alachua.
Mukhya Devi dasi: Daily Check-in by Phone for Those Living Alone.
We are starting a new program for anyone living alone who would like a daily check in by phone. Bhaktin Julia, who has been a member of our community for the last seven years, will be making the calls. She will call you each morning between 8 am and 10 am, and see how you are, if you have any needs today or this week. It will be a brief check in and she can refer you on if you do have particular needs. Please call or email the Temple office to get on the phone list.

Harinama in Vrindavana (Album with photos) Srila Prabhupada:…
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Harinama in Vrindavana (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Spiritual enlightenment is possible by the mercy of the spiritual energy of the Lord. The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is first addressed to the spiritual energy of the Lord, Hare. This spiritual energy acts when a living entity fully surrenders and accepts his position as an eternal servitor. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.9.6 Purport)
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Festival of Inspiration ISKCON 50 Special Packed With Variety
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Festival of Inspiration Banner

By Madhava Smullen

It’s hard to beat Festival of Inspiration for sheer variety.

This year’s ISKCON 50 special edition of the Appalachian spiritual retreat in New Vrindaban, West Virginia will overflow with the best Krishna consciousness has to offer: seminars, kirtans, entertainment, and the tastiest prasadam this side of the spiritual world.

Hundreds of devotees from all over the East Coast of the United States and Canada are expected to pour in for the May 6th to 8th weekend.

Each day of the festival will begin with an extended themed Srimad Bhagavatam class. Author Yogesvara Das will speak about his new biography of Srila Prabhupada for a mainstream audience, entitled “Swami in a Strange Land.” And the class on Sunday – Mother’s Day – will focus on the importance of honoring mothers in the Vaishnava tradition.

The centerpiece of the seminars, meanwhile, will be two special panel discussions to commemorate ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary.

“In the first, entitled ‘ISKCON 50 Years Ago,’ early Prabhupada disciples like Malati Devi, Shyamasundar Prabhu, and Yogesvara Prabhu will talk about their struggles and victories in expanding the movement, and how Prabhupada encouraged and enthused everyone,” says organizer Vrindavan Das. “They’ll be joined by Sally Agarwal, who sponsored Prabhupada when he first arrived in the U.S.”

The second panel, ISKCON’s Future in North America, will be facilitated by Gainesville Krishna House Director Kalakanatha Das and feature Varshana Swami, Vaisesika Das, educator Urmila Dasi, and more. They’ll discuss how to learn from the mistakes of the past to improve the future, how to care for the needs of current devotees, and how to reach out to more new people.

And that’s just the beginning. New Vrindaban’s own Sankirtan Das will present his Powerpoint on Prabhupada coming to America, which has been very well-received in colleges. He’ll also facilitate an open discussion on developing strategies for presenting Prabhupada to the public.

Urmila Dasi will offer practical and clear instructions for overcoming obstacles in spiritual life, setting our “compass” to the right direction, and finding the ultimate spiritual attainment.

Kalakantha Das, who has spoken out in favor of women gurus in ISKCON, will talk about the role of women in the society, and about Krishna conscious marriage.

Veteran book distributor Vaisesika Das is likely to speak about his new book, Our Family Business, in which he shares key principles and techniques of book distribution.

And ISKCON pioneer Shyamasundara Das will tell amazing stories from his upcoming book Chasing Rhinos with the Swami about ISKCON’s early days in San Francisco and London, as well as about his travels in India and Russia with Prabhupada.

As usual, parents will be able to attend these and the many other seminars on offer while their children have fun at a supervised kids’ camp with face painting, clowns and more.

At mealtimes, devotees will sit at picnic tables on the sunny lawn and socialize as they tuck into a tasty blend of Eastern and Western prasadam. There’ll be lots of healthy options such as salad and soup, as well as traditional Indian dishes and comfort food like macaroni; while many of the dairy dishes will be made with the milk of protected New Vrindaban cows.

In the evenings, everyone will focus on singing the Lord’s praises. Friday will see the continuation of a bhajan program that became an instant hit when it was introduced last year.

“Devotees rarely get to sing bhajans, because at most kirtan festivals they only chant the Hare Krishna mantra,” says Vrindavan. “So they’ll appreciate the chance to sing traditional songs of the Vaishnava Acharyas with some of the best bhajan singers in ISKCON like Agnideva Prabhu, Havi Prabhu and Ekendra Prabhu.”

Participants will get to immerse themselves in the Maha-mantra too, however, with a Nama-Yajna on Saturday evening.

The grande finale will follow on Sunday, with the hugely popular Transcendental Entertainment show at midday. Ekendra Das will lampoon both ISKCON and material life through song as his comedic alter ego Yama Niyama Das Brahmachari, Bhaktimarga Swami and his team will bring one of their epic dramas, and more top performers are yet to be announced.

After the show, a traditional Sunday Feast of rice, dahl, subjis, pakoras, chutney, puris, sweet rice, and gulabjamuns will be served. Devotees will return to their homes satisfied, relaxed, and yes, inspired.

“This year’s festival is a great way to celebrate ISKCON’s 50th anniversary, with so many excellent speakers covering the achievements of the last 50 years and motivating us about what we can do in the next 50,” says Vrindavan.

“It’s also a wonderful opportunity for participants to get inspired in Krishna consciousness and then return to their communities and enthuse others in devotional service.”

To register, please visit http://www.festivalofinspiration.net/registration/

FOI 2016 Poster

Bhakti Charu Swami addresses devotees at GBC college, Mumbai
Bhakti Charu Swami

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 […]

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Artha Forum holds third Bangalore event on ‘Conscious Entrepreneurship’ with HH Bhakti Charu Swami
Bhakti Charu Swami

Artha Forum (the non-profit initiative for bringing ancient wisdom to modern business) held its third event in Bangalore on Friday 18th March 2016 at the Taj Vivanta Hotel, M.G. Road. The event was attended by over 100 invited guests, including many members of the event partner, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce – Karnataka Chapter. The […]

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Anger Management
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Hare KrishnaBy Syamananda Dasa

“Arjuna, his eyes blazing in anger like two red balls of copper, dexterously arrested the son of Gautami (Ashvatthama) and bound him with ropes like an animal. After binding Ashvatthama, Arjuna wanted to take him to the military camp. The Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna, looking on with His lotus eyes, spoke to Arjuna in an angry mood. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.33-34) Both Arjuna and Krishna are described here as being very angry. The only difference was that Arjuna’s eyes became like balls of red copper, but the Lord’s eyes remained cool and are hence described as “lotus like.” Thus there is a vast difference between our anger and the one possessed by God. The Lord is Transcendence, and thus He is absolute in any stage. His anger is not like the anger of a conditioned living being within the modes of qualitative material nature. Because He is absolute, both His anger and pleasure are the same. Continue reading "Anger Management
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Love, Compassion and Inspiring to increase Devotion
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A small video on my thought’s on showing compassion and love in order to develop and increase devotion.

How we shouldn’t be surprised of fall down, but understand that we are all under the conditioning of material nature; but each should be given a chance in developing and given the same opportunity Srila Prabhupada gave his disciples.

And to ask that vital question, why didn’t Srila Prabhupada follow through with some of the thing’s he spoke about before going ahead with implementing what he didn’t

Krishna Controlled By Pure Devotees
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Hare KrishnaBy Rasa Purusa Dasa

The first point is that Krishna says that He is under the control of His devotees. The story of Maharaja Ambarisha, the emperor of the entire world, is a good illustration of this. Maharaja Ambarisha was a celebrated pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. He considered all material opulence transitory and always engaged his senses and mind in the loving transcendental services of the Lord. Continue reading "Krishna Controlled By Pure Devotees
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